Following
by ookamiblitz
Summary: Ferriswheelshipping. After apprehending the last of the Seven Sages, Snowe catches wind that N is in danger of being captured. She goes on a journey across the Pokémon world to find him, and hopefully come to terms with her feelings for him too
1. Chapter 1:  Pokemon Trainer Snowe

**Chapter One: Pokemon Trainer Snowe**

The sun hung over the sky like a mother attending to her child, bathing the earth in warmth and energy. In any other setting, Snowe would have appreciated the heat, but in the middle of this desert there was no need for the sun to be an overbearing parent. As a hot gale whipped by, peppering her body with sand, the young trainer slid her cap over her face. While this saved her eyes, Snowe knew that she was going to have a hell of a time washing her hair that night. That was trivial compared to the task at hand. Through the sands, she pressed on, as time was ticking by faster than the wind could blow.

The sandstorm died down, and the girl made double-time towards the top of a great dune. From there, a dark speck stood out in the distance. Relic Castle. It was only a few miles away. If she picked up the pace, she might be able to reach the ruins before Ryoku caught wind of her and could slip away.

For almost three weeks now, Snowe had been assisting Looker with locating and capturing the six remaining Sages. So far, they had all been wise enough to go without a fight. She wondered if this one would follow suite. As she considered this, her Joltik emerged from her bag, crawled up her arm, and nudged her jaw, urging her to get moving again

"You're right," she muttered. "We need to go." Quickly, she threw her head over her shoulder. "I wish Looker would hurry up..."

Carefully, Snowe continued to shuffle across the desert. She should have learned her lesson the first time she travelled to the Relic Castle. Don't wear shorts. By the time she reached the shelter of the ruins, her shins were red and raw from the blasting sand. Unfortunately, this wouldn't be the last of the it. Now she would have to jump into those damn sand pits and fall down to the lower levels. Even Joltik didn't feel thrilled at the prospect prospect of total immersion in sand; he desperately tapped at his Poké Ball to let Snowe know he would have none of it.

"Okay buddy," she conceded. "I'll see you at the bottom." She recalled her fuzzy, yellow friend and stared down the nearest pit. With only a slight bit of hesitation, she made a running start and jumped into the sand. Slowly, she felt herself being sucked downward, pinched her nose, and forced her eyelids shut. Within moments, she tumbled downwards to the floor below. Cursing, she tried to shake the sand from her hair and stood up. The good news: she only had to do it four more times. The bad: the total darkness implied an electrical shortage. Grumbling, she pulled a flashlight from her bag and began to look for the next pit.

The rest of the mission went smoothly. Looker eventually arrived, and Ryoku went quietly. As he hauled the old man away, Looker informed Snowe of his next assignment. Allegedly, someone in another region spotted a man matching N's description accompanied by a dragon Pokémon. Looker was close to tracking down Team Plasma's leader, and from the tone of his voice, he intended to take N down.

Simply bringing up his name made Snowe's stomach flop. Though she merely thought he was merely strange when they first met, as time went on she realized the insanity of his methods. But he was misinformed, his tragic childhood fueling his grave misunderstanding of people and Pokémon. In the entire world, only N could simultaneously send chills down her spine and inspire intense empathy. Hopefully, when he was captured and the saga of Team Plasma was no more, the inner conflict would end, and the yoke of responsibility Snowe felt would fall away.

* * *

><p>Snowe bought a single ticket and boarded the ferris wheel. Slowly, she rose over the lights of Nimbasa City, high enough to see the lights of Castelia City across the scorched sands. Frost began to grow from the metal frame of the windows, proclaiming the arrival of the winter night. It was hard to believe that only a few months ago, in this very amusement park, N had been going on about circular motion and formulas, both terrifying and fascinating her. It wasn't until he announced that he was in fact the king of Team Plasma that he paralyzed her, and she began to think of him as a villain.<p>

But now Plasma was no more, and N was long gone, no doubt in hiding out in a faraway region. There was no longer a reason to worry about him. Joltik peeked over the brim of her hat and stared at Snowe with his four, lilac eyes. She wasn't just lucky because he was alternately colored; the little bug Pokémon always knew how she really felt.

"I don't know if he deserves to be jailed," she admitted. "He isn't like the rest of them." Joltik dropped down into her open palm and hugged her thumb. "I don't even think he could handle prison." The more she thought about it, the more it ate away at her. Like a helpless girl, there wasn't much she could do, and that sent a bolt of dread down her spine. If only she could warn him, if she could find him. Joltik, sensing Snowe's melancholy, nudged her fingertips.

The ferris wheel made a final rotation, gears roaring, and Snowe soared up into the sky. The cold metal bench forced a chill down her spine. For a moment, she thought she felt someone take her free hand, the one that sat idly on the seat beside her. Yet there was no one else there, just her Joltik, and a ghost born of guilt and longing.

* * *

><p>Despite the cool weather to the North, the thermometers in Castelia City rose to levels unseen in recent memory. To alleviate the heat wave, Casteliacones were making a rare winter appearance. The novelty of this situation forced a reunion of sorts between a young man and a pair of girls on Mode Street. When Snowe caught sight of her friends, a peppy blonde named Bianca and a reserved young man named Cheren, she caved in to the urge to surprise them. Weaving her way through the crowded street, she snuck up behind the two and threw herself between them, her arms wrapping their shoulders. Bianca let out a shriek, but Cheren remained unfazed.<p>

"Snowe, you haven't surprised me since the first grade," he remarked. Bianca's panic turned into joyful surprise and she threw her arms around Snowe.

"Speak for yourself, Cheren," she replied. "I love Snowe's surprises. I hope she does this until we're eighty."

"Ninety," Snowe corrected, breaking away to give Cheren a quick hug. "I know it's only been a few weeks, but I fricken' missed you guys."

After getting into the nearly city-long line for ice cream, the three began to catch up. Snowe recounted her hunt of the remaining Plasma sages and Cheren bragged about a new battle technique he had been working on. Bianca had little to contribute, but she did manage to find a dusk stone to evolve her Lampent into a Chandelure. All of this talk made Snowe feel like a normal teenage girl for the first time in months. There was no tension left, no pressure to stop Team Plasma, no intimidation while facing down Zekrom, no hassle to track down six old men...

"What do you plan to do next Snowe?" Cheren asked, paying for the girls' ice cream. The trio crossed the street and found an empty spot in the shade to enjoy their treat.

"That's the real question, isn't it?" she replied. "I'm not sure yet. I'd like to work on the Pokédex, but I feel like I've seen everything in Unova. I'd be too bored."

"Maybe you should travel to another region," he suggested. "That should be new enough for you." She had thought about it occasionally. New regions meant more leagues, more battles, new and exotic Pokémon, new and exotic young men...

"I'd have to think about it," Snowe mused. "It would be fun but—"

From the corner of her eyes she spotted a flash of bright green. Though it was instantaneous, it was bold enough to catch her attention. Snowe's gaze drifted towards it, but stopped dead as the image in question came into focus. Towering above a group of businesswomen as he passed through them, a young man pushed his way across the crowd. Beneath his black and white cap was a cascade of long, emerald hair, allowing Snowe to easily recognize him.

"Hold this," she commanded, handing her ice cream to Bianca. Swiftly, Snowe began to walk through the crowd. Just as she was about to catch up with him, the man looked over his shoulders. His lime-colored eyes caught her face and grew wide in horror. He began to jog in a vain attempt to put distance between them, but Snowe merely sprinted towards him in return. Shoving people aside, he ran faster, forcing Snowe to push herself to catch up. His long legs gave him more distance, but she was sure that she had more stamina. Snowe watched as he made a poor attempt to escape by ducking into an alleyway. She followed, but stopped suddenly. The long, narrow alley was silent. Still, she made her way down it, kicking at garbage and overthrowing trash cans as she went along. He had to be hiding; she was no simpleton.

She felt herself thrown against a wall as she passed by a dumpster. A hand slammed itself against her mouth, muffling a scream. Unable to catch his breath, N remained speechless at first, his raspy breath the only sound between them. Snowe's bright eyes locked on his sweaty face, and she glared. She had underestimated his cunning.

After an uncomfortable staring session, he leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Where's that foreign detective? I'm sure he isn't far behind you." His voice, although hoarse, remained as quiet and fast as her memory recalled. Carefully, he moved his hand from her mouth to her shoulder, keeping her pinned.

"I don't work with him anymore," Snowe growled. "But he's probably in this city, and I know he still has agents all over Unova, waiting for you to turn up."

"Damn," he muttered, dropping his gaze to the side.

"Why did you come back?" she demanded, ignoring the fact that she was in no position to ask questions. "This is the last place you should be."

"I— never mind," he sighed. "I'm leaving tonight anyway." N refused to look at her, keeping his face down. "Are you going to turn me in?"

"No," she answered. "Actually, I wanted to warn you. They're looking harder for you now."

"Why would you help me?" he asked, distrust in his voice. "After what I tried to do..."

"I—," she began, not sure how to explain herself. "I don't think you're a bad guy." N finally met her gaze as he stepped backwards, releasing her. Snowe remained against the wall, watching as he decided his fate. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"I can't tell you that," he said. "It wouldn't be wise."

"Please," she spoke quietly, "watch your back."

Silently, N's eyes ran from her feet to her head. He readjusted his hat before speaking. "Goodbye Snowe. Remember what I told you. More than ever, I believe that you can make your dreams a reality."

With that, N took a few more steps back, his gaze fixed on Snowe, and began to run off towards the end of the alley. Dumbfounded, Snowe stood for a moment, staring at her shoes, listening to his footsteps fade into the bright summer light.

* * *

><p>The sun began to fall beneath the waves of the ocean. Snowe, Cheren, and Bianca leaned over a railing at the end of the pier, watching a school of Alomomola frolic in the water. Snowe was enjoying her second Casteliacone, or at least trying to. Her meeting with N had upset her stomach, making her just as apprehensive as she had been the night before. Watching Snowe let her ice cream drip into the sea, Bianca spoke up.<p>

"W-what are you thinking about, Snowe?" she asked timidly.

_N, you idiot, you're thinking about N, even though he can take care of himself._

"I think," she began, then let out a heavy sigh. "I think I want to travel to a new region."

Bianca smiled. "That'd be so good for you Snowe. You should do it." Snowe couldn't help but grin at the stupidly happy expression on her face. Even Cheren was smiling privately. To ignore N for a moment, she dearly missed her friends. Though she was seriously thinking about going after him, Snowe didn't want to give up moments like this. Why couldn't she have her cake and eat it too?

"Come with me, both of you," she proposed. Cheren and Bianca shared a look of shock, then looked at each other and smiled.

"I-I don't see why not," Bianca replied joyfully. "We all went on our first adventures separately. Wouldn't it be fun to all be together?"

"Well, if you ladies are going, someone is going to have to go with to keep you two from getting lost," Cheren grumbled, trying to downplay his excitement. "I guess I'd have to go too."

Snowe beamed. It was decided. They made their plans right then and there. In two weeks, they would depart for a faraway region. The excitement kept Snowe awake for the next fourteen nights. However, occasionally a wave of shame lapped at her. She wasn't being truly honest with Cheren, Bianca, or even herself. This trip was less about them and far more about N.

With luck, they would never know.


	2. Chapter 2:  Pallet Town

**Chapter Two: Pallet Town**

Although they could clearly see that there wasn't much to Pallet Town, Snowe, Cheren, and Bianca gathered their things and hurried off of the boat and onto the dock. Laid out before them were several rows of white, modern houses, their roofs like polychromatic pyramids touching the sky. Nearly every household had an assortment of brightly colored flowers planted in their yard, making the young travelers feel welcome in this new land. They bid farewell to the captain who had so happily taken them straight from Vermillion City and began to walk towards the only large building in town, a bright yellow structure with circular windows.

Cheren had suggested that their first stop on their adventure be the laboratory of Professor Oak, the world's leading Pokémon researcher. His reasoning was simple: they would be out on the road with a number of Pokémon neither they nor Professor Juniper would be familiar with, so they could use some advice. That was if they could even get to see the professor. All three of them were aware of his fame. He might be too busy for them, or not there to begin with.

"Well, this is it," Cheren said half to himself. The three stood outside of a great, green industrial-style door, not moving.

"D-Do we just go in, or do we knock?" Bianca asked.

"I'm not sure," Cheren admitted, his voice reeking of nervousness. Rubbing elbows with Gym Leaders and regional Champions was one thing, an international celebrity was another. "You've met lots of famous people, Snowe. You go first."

Snowe let out a rough sigh and pushed open the door. The front of the lab, consisting of a wide space with some seating and bookshelves, was devoid of people. Quietly, Bianca and Cheren followed Snowe into the building. They loitered around in the front for a few minutes, not sure if anyone would come out to greet them, before Snowe brought forth some courage and peeked around a shelving unit.

A girl around the same age as her struggled as a Squirtle slipped out of her grasp. The tiny turtle Pokémon jumped from her arms and ran towards Snowe, looking for a place to hide behind her leg.

"Come here, Squirtle," the girl called, her voice warm and kind. Squirtle grasped Snowe by the bootlaces and buried its face in her calf. "I won't hurt you. We just need to polish that shell before your new trainer comes to get you." Snowe knelt down to the little guy and slowly put her hand out to stoke his head.

"Go on, buddy," Snowe said, smiling. "You don't want to look bad on your big day." Something in her voice calmed the Pokémon down, and it slowly crept back to the strange girl's feet. Gently, she picked up Squirtle and set him on a nearby countertop.

"I'm so sorry, you must be the new trainer," she greeted, holding out her hand. "I'm Leaf, Professor Oak's assistant."

"I'm Snowe," she answered, taking the girl's hand in her characteristically rough way. "Actually, I'm not a new trainer. Some friends and I were just wondering if the professor was around. We're new to Kanto and we'd like to ask about the Pokémon around here, if he isn't too busy that is."

"Oh, Professor Oak is out at the moment, but I'm sure when he gets back he'll be happy to answer all of your questions," Leaf answered, turning her back to Snowe to grab a bottle of polish off of a shelf. "After I take care of this Squirtle, I can come out and talk to you and your friends. I'm no expert, but I have completed the Kanto Pokédex. Maybe I can answer some of your questions for you."

Snowe stared at her, dumbfounded. She had only captured twenty, maybe thirty Pokémon tops. "You really finished your Pokédex?"

Leaf smiled, a tinge of pride in her eyes. "Yep. I'll tell you all about it when I'm done."

While they waited for Professor Oak to return, Leaf regaled them with tales of her adventure in Kanto, trying to remember anything she wished she had known when she first started out.

"Oh, Zubat!" she exclaimed. "If you walk into a cave, expect them. Everywhere. All the time. You can't go more than a few steps without running into one of those damn things." Leaf handed her Pokédex to Snowe, the entry for Zubat open on the screen.

"It's like a Woobat," she explained, handing the device to Cheren and Bianca. "Just not as cute."

"Wow, just what we need," Cheren mumbled bitterly. "So, when did you start your journey, Leaf?"

"Years ago," she answered, the memories flooding her, coaxing a smile to her face. "We begin training around the age of ten here in Kanto, but you can't become a full-time trainer until you're fifteen, and that's only if you take a special test to be exempt from school. When I was a little kid, I used to play with my neighbors all the time, two boys named Red and Blue. As we got older, Blue became more of a bully than a friend, so Red and I decided to go together when we started our journey. I followed Red around Kanto for nearly a year and a half, he competing in the Indigo League and I completing the Pokédex."

"Sounds like an amazing adventure," Bianca thought aloud. "Then what happened?"

"Well, Red managed to dethrone the Champion and fulfill his goals. The Elite Four offered the Red a permanent position, but he turned it down to continue training. For a while, he stayed in Kanto, but two years ago he left to train on Mt. Silver, and he hasn't been home since," she explained, her voice losing some of its pep when she began to discuss her old friend. "As for me, I was more interested in studying Pokémon, so the professor decided to take me as an apprentice."

"And what about Blue?" Bianca asked. Before Leaf could answer, the door to the lab opened, letting the orange glow of the sunset flood in. Two figures entered the building, but the light was too harsh for Snowe to make out their features at first. As her eyes adjusted, the shadows morphed into a young man with topaz colored hair and a stout older gentleman. Cheren immediately recognized both of the men.

"You mean that Blue?" he asked, dumbfounded. "The Gym Leader?" Snowe gave Cheren the same glare she had given him since the day they met in kindergarden, silently admonishing him for being a know-it-all. No doubt he had already memorized everything about the Kanto Gym Leaders, from their preferred teams to their eye color. Her attention then moved to this Blue fellow. He certainly had the look of a young Gym Leader; his aquamarine eyes burning with confidence, his walk a casual swagger. Snowe could easily see him as a child, bullying poor Leaf and her best friend.

That was until he finished his strut across the room, bent over, and gave Leaf a tender kiss on the mouth. The schmaltz made Bianca let out an involuntary coo, but it only made Snowe want to give up hope for womankind. If girls were supposed to hook up with the boys who teased them, then she should have been married to Cheren by the end of first grade. Nothing good could come of it.

Blue took a seat on the arm of Leaf's chair and put a hand on her shoulder. "So who are your friends?"

"This is Cheren, Bianca, and Snowe," she answered, pointing to them in turn. "They've come from Unova to train and would like to talk to Professor Oak." As Blue introduced himself and shook each of their hands, Snowe looked towards the man who had entered with him. He hung up his coat and turned towards the teenagers. Although his expression seemed harsh, his eyes twinkled in a way that told Snowe he would be very easy on them.

"It appears that again my grandson has stolen my thunder," he said wryly, walking over to them. Snowe stood up to shake his hand, followed by a visibly nervous Cheren. "I'm Professor Oak. What can I do for you kids?"

The professor had been more than accommodating, allowing them to take up his time into the night, updating their Pokédexes, and taking all the questions they had about Kanto and the creatures that inhabited it. He even allowed them to stay overnight at his lab, as it was far too late to travel to Viridian City's Pokémon Center. After Professor Oak finished speaking with the trainers, he excused himself and retired to his apartment on the upper level of the lab. Blue and Leaf decided to go home as well.

"If you need anything at all, or there's an emergency and the professor can't help you, I'm only two streets east at the end of the block," Leaf volunteered.

"Don't bother getting her up. I'm just two houses down," Blue pointed out, pulling at Leaf's hat, causing it to drop to the floor. Blushing, she picked it up and took his hand. With that, they bid the trio farewell, exiting the lab arm in arm.

There was a long moment of silence between them, only the hum of an old computer touching the quiet. Finally, Bianca broke it with a squeal.

"They are so cute together!" She squeezed one of the pillows the professor provided them with in glee and let herself fall back onto a sofa. "It makes me wish I had a boyfriend, especially one as handsome as Blue."

"No one is going to date you until you learn to use your indoor voice," Cheren grumbled, taking the other sofa before Snowe could claim it. More concerned with Pokémon locations and unfamiliar fauna, he had been unimpressed with the many displays of affection Blue had bestowed upon Leaf. The same could be said for Snowe. She felt as if Leaf were just a trophy to him. He had tossed her around and played around with her like a living doll, like some toy. Snowe shuddered at the thought of getting stuck in that type of relationship.

"Let's stop the bickering and get to sleep you two," she commanded, shaking off that unpleasant thought. "We should leave early for Viridian City, so we can get some sightseeing in before dark.

"No complaints here," Cheren answered, tossing a pillow onto the yellow armchair that would serve as Snowe's bed. "Night, ladies." Bianca already began to drift off and mumbled a feeble goodnight back. After shutting off the light, Snowe attempted to curl up in the chair. She could only stand the cramped position for about ten minutes, so she tried to sleep with her legs hanging off of the arm. This caused her feet to fall asleep, but the rest of her wasn't nearly as willing to snooze.

Though she hadn't been impressed by the little show Blue put on, she did have to admit she was a bit jealous. It wasn't as if she had a handsome, talented trainer interested in her, or even one she was interested in. Well, there was one...

"Stop it, damnit," she mumbled. "Don't even go there." Both Cheren and Bianca were quietly snoring. Snowe assumed that they were far too unconscious to notice if she slipped out. What she really needed now was fresh air, so she silently snuck out of the lab.

As she strolled down the moon-bathed lane, the cries of a vast array of unfamiliar Pokémon blended with those of innumerable insects, creating an exotic symphony that soothed Snowe's nerves. Approaching the sea, Snowe quickened her pace, breathing in the tangy salted air. She reached the rocky beach, but didn't find it deserted. Blue stood at the end of the dock, throwing stones into the water, a complacent expression on his face.

Snowe sat on her haunches by the water's edge and did her best to ignore him. Though he didn't acknowledge her presence at first, he eventually spoke.

"You're a stronger trainer than you let on, aren't you?" he asked. Snowe looked over to him, but he kept his eyes on the sea. "I can see it in your eyes. They've got that intense look to them."

"I'm not that special," Snowe replied curtly. "I'm just a Pokémon trainer."

"I did a little bit of research at Leaf's house," he admitted. "You took down a criminal organization called Team Plasma almost single-handedly. That's legendary."

"It had to be done," she grumbled, not wanting to remember the intense pressure that situation had put her under.

"How about a battle?" he proposed after a moment. "It seems that the two of us have a lot on our minds. A good distraction might help."

Snowe reached for a Poké Ball attached to the belt loop of her pants, the only one she kept on her person no matter what. Through the red top, she saw her Serperior, her very first Pokémon, yawn and nod her head in confirmation, anticipating the battle ahead.

"One-on-one," Snow said, accepting his challenge. "No items."

Blue pulled a Poké Ball from his side. "Fair enough. This doesn't count as an official badge battle, just so you know."

"Badges don't interest me," she replied, tossing the ball into the air. With a bright flash, Serperior appeared on the rocky beach in front of Snowe, stretching her long body. Blue casually called his Pokémon in return, a small brown canine that was unfamiliar to Snowe. From it's dull coloring and small stature, she could deduce that it was a normal type and a basic evolution, but something in her gut told her to continue with caution.

Serperior reeled back and tried to hit the creature with toxic, hoping to poison it and end the battle quickly. However, it managed to avoid the attack and retaliated with a powerful take down. To Snowe's surprise, the little brown fuzzball managed to cause an alarming amount of damage to Serperior, so she ordered her to give it all she had and use Leaf Storm. Blue's Pokémon managed to dodge the attack just in time and hammer Serperior with another take down. A stone settled in Snowe's gut; she had severely underestimated Blue and his little brown fox. She had one option left. Snowe commanded Serperior to use Frenzy Plant, knowing that if it hit it would probably KO the little thing. A large, thorny root shot out from beneath the stones and nailed Blue's Pokémon. For a moment, it seemed as if Snowe had beaten him, but the tenacious little fennec stood right back up, used Return, and knocked her great Serperior into the ground. Disappointed in herself, she recalled her friend and reattached the Poké Ball to her shorts.

"No one beats me on the first try," Blue offered as a condolence. Snowe took it as a backhanded compliment instead. "But, your Pokémon had great stamina. Not many can stand up to an assault from my Eevee for that long."

"I'm surprised that little fuzzball could pack such a punch." Snowe climbed onto the dock and reached down to pet Eevee. "I shouldn't have let my guard down. It was a rookie mistake."

"It happens," Blue said, taking her hand for an after battle handshake. Though she still thought of him as a bit of a pig, Snowe could see why Leaf liked him. He must have had talent if he could pack that much power into such a tiny Pokémon.

"So what brings you out here at this hour?" she asked, allowing the Eevee to jump into her arms.

"I could ask you the same," he retorted, picking up a rock from a pile he had amassed and resuming his stoning of the sea.

"Can't sleep," she answered. "What's your excuse?"

"Well...I guess I can't stop thinking," he replied. "I haven't slept well for the last few nights either. I've got a gym to run, an apartment in Viridian City to renovate, a girlfriend to take care of..."

Snowe sighed and let her feminist streak show itself. "I don't know Leaf very well, but she seems capable of taking care of herself."

"I don't mean like that kind of take care of," he clarified. "I mean, I guess I'm thinking about the next step."

"So you're still a virgin?"

"No." He flushed suddenly. "Not in the way that I'm not a virgin, I mean, but I'm not." Blue sighed angrily and Snowe giggled to herself. "I mean a different next step...marriage I guess."

The m-word made all the difference to Snowe. While being a cute and affectionate boyfriend was enough to make Bianca squeal, committing to a girl was what impressed Snowe. Although she still considered Blue to be a bit of a jerk, and she still tried to wrap her head around how Leaf's bully became a boyfriend, Snowe finally was able to see what was so damn great about Blue. The man had initiative, and Snowe felt a hint of jealousy.

"I wouldn't worry about that," Snowe thought aloud. "I think the odds in favor of you are pretty damn high, especially if you screw like you battle."

Blue looked away from her in embarrassment. "I can see why you don't have a boyfriend. You're as blunt as a man." Snowe began to laugh out loud. She had gone from thinking Blue was a womanizer to harboring a subtle respect for him in the span of only a few minutes. This spawned the epiphany she needed to get back to bed. It was time for her to grow up and shed many of the misconceptions she had about people, from Cheren to Bianca and even her own parents. She bid farewell to Blue and began to listlessly walk back to the lab, all the while thinking about the very someone she had started this journey for.

N wasn't helpless, and he could probably take care of himself. This Snowe was sure of. Yet, she wanted to help him through this, and she wanted to clear his name. As she settled back into her armchair and pulled a blanket to her chin, he dominated her thoughts. Silently admonishing herself, she came to terms with the fact that it might be okay to harbor a tiny crush on the guy, as long as she didn't get her hopes up too much.


	3. Chapter 3:  Midnight Safari

**Chapter Three: Midnight Safari**

"Hand me that damn light, you moron."

Snowe should have let that go. After all, it was partially her fault that the three had gotten lost in an unfamiliar land, in an enormous forest that may have been closed to the public. Unable to resist retaliating for his snide remark, rather than give over the weighty, metal flashlight, Snowe chucked it at Cheren. His inability to catch nearly anything caused the flashlight to slip from his fingertips and break on the worn stone path beneath him. Now they were lost and isolated in the darkness. Obviously, Cheren wasn't able to see this as an adventure.

"You're lucky you're a girl," he warned, puffing up his chest as much as his tiny frame would allow.

"Don't let that stop you," Snowe taunted, raising her fists in defiance. Her lips morphed into a cocky smile, infuriating Cheren. Giving in to his baser instincts, he took a swing at Snowe, knocking her in the jaw. Dazed, she stumbled backwards, her face numb and tongue sore. Over the last thirteen years, they had bit, pushed, scratched, and pulled at each other, and she had always come out on top. He had never swung at her with his full force before. Her mind cloudy and full of pain, she backed down, her pride wounded.

Bianca was frantic as she pulled at Cheren's arm, trying to calm him down. Huffing and puffing, he glared at Snowe.

"I'm so sick of you acting as if you're queen of the fricken world," he growled. "All you've ever done is lead me and Bianca into trouble. No one made you the boss, so quit acting like it."

"Cheren!" Bianca shouted.

"And you need to stop defending her," he snapped, turning his anger on her. "You know I'm right."

Snowe stood dazed as he roughly shook off Bianca and stormed away. Cheren continued along the path they had been walking until he disappeared into the darkness. Quietly, Bianca began to sob, so Snowe stepped over to her and gave her a hug.

"He'll be back," she assured. "He wouldn't abandon you." This didn't calm Bianca, and she continued to weep in Snowe's arms. Besides being sans-Cheren, the moon began to disappear behind a thick layer of clouds, the growing darkness making Bianca more apprehensive. Snowe managed to bring some of Bianca's pep back, encouraging her to continue to a clearing so they could start a fire and make camp. After Bianca's Chandelure lit the fire, the girls sat before it, Bianca moping and Snowe continuing to rub her sore jaw.

Her gut was wrenched with guilt. Though she had done a great job at hiding it so far, Cheren must have been getting an inkling that this journey wasn't about their friendship. Snowe had done her best to focus on her friends, but at every opportunity she would scan newspapers and magazines or hit up local trainers for information that might pertain to N or Reshiram. In fact, that was what drove her to this forest. Although it had once been a Safari Zone, and then a Pal Park, it now sat abandoned and at the whim of nature's discretion. There had been reports of a dragon Pokémon flying above the treetops, but so far she had seen no trace of either Reshiram or N. The whole trip had been a bust, and now, despite what she told Bianca, Snowe believed that Cheren was pissed off enough to never come back.

"I'm a terrible person," she mumbled. Bianca seemed to perk up at this suggestion.

"D-don't ever say that!" she squeaked. "You're the nicest, most caring, hardworking person I know. Cheren's just in one of his moods."

"He does have a poi..." Snowe trailed off. Behind Bianca, through a tangled mass of overgrowth and shrubbery, a pair of bright red orbs hung in the darkness. Slowly, Snowe stood up and reached for Serperior's Poké Ball. The circles appeared to get larger the longer she stared at them, and soon she realized that they were eyes. She grabbed at the Poké Ball, but her fingertips slid off. Her legs gave out, and she tumbled to the ground. Bianca rushed over to Snowe, frantically calling out to her. Only able to mumble weakly in response, she gave in to a deep desire to shut her eyes and relax her body.

Frantically, Bianca began to shake her, trying to force wakefulness upon her. She had not seen the eyes in the darkness, but deep howl drew her attention to the trees. Her pupils grew wide in terror, and the frantically reached for her Pokéballs. They still sat in her bag on the other side of the campsite, right between the girl's and the terror that watched them. She held Snowe more tightly now, fearing for both her and her friend's safety.

A roaring ball of fire crashed through the trees and into the hidden creature within them. The energy from the impact bombarded Bianca's eyes with light, and a shockwave of heat whipped by her with the force of a small bomb. Despite leaving her dazed and shelled, her lips rose to a beaming smile. She knew this attack well and threw her head over her shoulder at the commander who unleashed it. Cheren jogged towards them, his expression stiff with determination. The battle was far from over.

"Emboar, use Head Smash!" he shouted. Now, in place of the light and fire was his bulky companion. Emboar launched himself at the creature and an earsplitting screech rang through the trees. Neither Cheren or Bianca could get a clear look at the mystery Pokémon Emboar fought, and it was nearly pointless to do so. The creature flapped a set of large wings and quickly flew off, breaking through the treetops into the night sky. Only its silhouette was visible against the inky sky.

"Was that it?" Cheren called, turning to a dark figure that quickly approached him from behind. It was a woman, pale-skinned with dark hair pulled back into a style reminiscent of a porcupine.

"I think so," she answered, walking past him to examine the battlefield. "It looks like this girl is Noctowl's newest victim."

"W-what happened?" Bianca demanded, tears of terror gathering in her eyes. "Is Snowe going to be okay?"

The woman put her fingertips to Snowe's neck. "She'll be fine in a couple of hours. I have a home nearby. We can take her there until she recovers."

"Oh, t-thank you..."

"My name is Janine. I'm the Gym Leader in Fuchsia City. Now let's get going."

* * *

><p><em>Together Cheren and Snowe pushed their way through the crowd, desiring to satisfy their curiosity. Perched atop the raised section of Accumula's town square, a man dressed in flowing robes gave an impassioned speech. The two trainers, who had only just received their first Pokémon that day, listened halfheartedly to his statements. His opinions on Pokémon liberation were outlandish to Snowe and Cheren, and they began to bicker among themselves before the man finished his monologue.<em>

_"This is the most bizarre thing I've seen in my life," Snowe muttered. "Why are they dressed like it's 1325?"_

_"It's really detracting from their message," he replied. "These people are nuts."_

_"I'll say," Snowe agreed, opening her bag. She and Snivy had been so happy training together that when the time came for her to get back in her Poké Ball, Snivy refused and crawled into Snowe's bag for a nap. Now she was stirring, and she poked her head out from the bag. "We've only been trainers for a few hours, but I'm way to attached to Snivy, and I think she feels the same way."_

_Cheren pulled his Tepig's ball from his pocket and examined it. "I know how you feel. I almost don't want to catch any more. He's really all I need."_

_The man addressing them finished and left dramatically, his followers escorting him away in formation. Snowe had to suppress a laugh. The whole presentation had been far too ridiculous for her tastes. Cheren rolled his eyes. He was unimpressed as well. The crowd, however, did not seem to share their dismissal. Snowe and Cheren could hear them speaking to themselves, pondering the release of their Pokémon._

_"Forget this," Snowe exclaimed, taking Snivy from her bag and placing her on her shoulder. "Me and Snivy are hungry. Let's grab a bite to eat."_

_"Your Pokémon...Just now, it was saying..."_

_Snowe and Cheren turned to see a young man, probably no older than themselves, staring at Snowe. The intensity of his gaze set off alarms in both Snowe and Cheren's heads. Only one day into their journey, Snowe had encountered her first creeper._

_"Wait, what?"_

_"Yes, they're talking," he replied. At this, Snowe took a step closer to Cheren, her expression falling into one of explicit worry. The stranger seemed to come to some sort of realization. "Oh. Then, you two can't hear it, either...how sad."_

_Though Cheren and Snowe remained still in silent unease, he introduced himself anyway. His name was N, and he wanted to know who Snowe was._

_"I'm Cheren and this is Snowe. We're completing the pokedex for Professor Juniper," Cheren answered. Snivy held Snowe's shoulder more tightly. The grass snake picked up a strange vibe from N, one Snowe felt with more intensity the longer she kept her gaze locked on his. He seemed shocked that they wanted to catch, or confine as he saw it, one-hundred and fifty Pokémon._

_"Well, Snowe, is it?" he remarked, grabbing a Pokéball from his pocket. "Let me hear your Pokémon's voice again!"_

_The mysterious man, N, tossed the ball, releasing a Purrloin. All the while, he still stared at her, his lime-colored eyes scrutinizing her every feature. As much as it made her uncomfortable, she still stared back, her blue eyes burning with an intensity only this stranger could match. Snivy jumped from her shoulder, and started the first of many battles that would follow these staring contests._

* * *

><p>Snowe awoke to the sweet scent of sycamore, sandalwood, and cedar combined. Her eyes fought drowsiness, but allowed her to survey her surroundings through a blurred lens. She felt a hard, straw futon beneath her body, and a soft down comforter around it. Incense and candles were burning beside her, dimly lighting the small room she found herself in. Slowly, she sat up, combating a sudden surge of pain in her forehead. She found herself alone, but the door to the room was open just a crack, letting the light of a flickering fire draw a line across the room.<p>

A quiet, chirp drew her attention. Joltik had let himself out of his Pokéball, and he now crawled up Snowe's leg and onto her lap. His four lilac eyes glistened with worry. Snowe rubbed his tiny body with her thumb.

"Calm down buddy," she cooed. "What happened to me?" In response, he scurried away from her and through the crack in the door. Carefully, as to not upset her aching head, she followed, pushing the door open to reveal a larger, brighter room. Sitting around a hearth were Cheren, Bianca, and an unknown female who appeared to be dressed as a ninja.

"Oh Snowe, you're okay!" Bianca shouted, scrambling to her feet and embracing Snowe in a warm hug. She weakly reciprocated, still feeling as if someone had cracked her across the head with a sledgehammer.

"Can someone fill me in on what's going on here, like where the hell we are?" she asked as Bianca led her to a place by the fire.

"You were attacked by a wild Noctowl," the strange woman, who Cheren introduced as the local Gym Leader, Janine, answered. "Lately, I've been getting reports of trainers being put to sleep by a mysterious Pokémon. My Crobat and I managed to go toe to toe with it a few times, but this Noctowl is extremely powerful, and it usually ends up putting him to sleep. Your friend Cheren was helping me track it down tonight when we found you. We decided to bring you back to my cabin to recover."

"So is this thing still out there or..."

"It is," Janine replied. "I'd like to capture it before sunrise so we can stop this insanity."

Snowe fluttered her eyelashes, forcing herself to wake up. Though her memory of the night was blurry, she remembered the terror she felt as the gaze of that Noctowl set itself upon her. What if it hadn't been her, but a child trainer? It had to be captured. "Well, what are we waiting for?" she remarked, standing. "Let's go get it!"

"A-are you sure?" Bianca asked. "You just woke up."

"Positive. Where are my boots?"

"That's what I like to hear," Janine said, rising with Snowe. "With the four of us that thing has no chance." Snowe's fighting spirit was infectious. Soon, all three women in the room were pumped and ready to go. On the other hand, Cheren seemed to be immune to her attitude. He was the last the leave the cabin, following the girls back into the wilderness in silent resentment.

* * *

><p>Apart from a couple of Paras and the sharp cry of a Kangaskhan, the former safari zone was devoid of all signs of Pokémon. The sun was creeping up on the horizon, ushering dawn and signaling the end of their hunt. Snowe would be happy to give up the search. They had decided to split into two groups, and much to her shock and dismay, Cheren volunteered to accompany her. All night, they searched in silence, and with each empty bush or tree they came across, the tension between them grew.<p>

"Damnit, the sun's rising," Snowe discerned, trying to put a dent in the silence.

"No, really?" Cheren replied. Snowe slammed her hands on her hips and spun around to confront him.

"What's your fricken' problem?" she demanded. "Out with it!"

He stared at her for a moment before speaking, and then he answered slowly and calmly. "You know what my problem is? You. That's my problem. Since we were kids you've always been the leader, always made the decisions, always been the one to get the credit for what me and Bianca helped you accomplish. Even now, after I saved your dumb ass, it's your bright idea everyone is following, and I bet somehow, when this is all over, you'll be the one to get that Noctowl."

"Cheren-"

"And the messed up part is that you're usually right," he continued, his tone growing dejected. "Whenever you're in charge, good things happen, or we have fun, or we succeed. I guess I'm just jealous."

"Cheren...you're such an idiot," Snowe said, quietly. "You have no reason to be jealous of me. You're smarter, more driven, and a much better trainer than me. Honestly Cheren, even though we're always at each other's throats, that competition made me the person I am today, and I freaking love you for that man."

Cheren stared at her for a moment with a bewildered expression on his face. For once, it appeared that Snowe was humbling herself.

"You really think that?"

"I can't imagine my life without you, Cheren. You're like my brother, and if it's what it takes to keep you around, I'll let you take the lead for a little bit. I feel bad that I made you feel that way."

Cheren blushed. "Snowe, you moron..."

_Wooooohooooo_.

A familiar low howl cut their heart to heart short. A breeze tousled their hair as a great bird displaced the air as it landed. Cheren and Snowe found themselves facing the largest Noctowl they had ever seen, and it glittered in orange and gold. It would have been beautiful if it didn't have a look of pure hostility in it's eyes.

"Go for it, Cheren. You can have the credit for this one," Snowe said, backing up. Cheren released his Emboar and commanded it to use Head Smash. The attack missed, and the Noctowl stuck back, sending Emboar backwards into a tree.

"Come on Emboar, get up!" The Noctowl let out another howl and its eyes began to glow. It unleashed it's Hypnosis on Cheren's Pokémon, dazing it. Snowe reached for a Poké Ball and called upon her Beartic. Beartic charged the Noctowl, trying to push it away from Emboar. With the bird Pokémon distracted, Emboar managed to get up and effectively use Head Smash, tumbling Noctowl to the ground. Beartic used Ice Punch to keep it down, giving Cheren the opportunity to chuck an Ultra Ball. Both Snowe and Cheren felt as if the next couple of shakes of the Ball lasted an eternity. The ball clicked, and Snowe cried out in elation.

"Yes! Oh my God, you did it Cheren!" she shouted, pulling Cheren into a celebratory hug.

"I really didn't do it alone, you know," he muttered. Snowe smiled as she attended to the weakened Emboar.

"Nope, I was too afraid to react," she rebuffed, spraying on of Emboar's cuts with a potion. "I can't wait to tell everyone about how you did it..."

"I get it, I get it!" he sighed. "Just try not to make me sound like too much of a hero."

"I only speak the truth," Snowe recited with a wink. She gave Cheren a fist bump before making their way back to Janine's cabin, their friendship renewed with the joy of celebration.


	4. Chapter 4: Captivated

Part Four

**Chapter Four: Captivated**

For as long as she could remember, Snowe had thought little of normal types. While a few of them, such as Bouffalant or Blue's Eevee, could be powerful, most were small, fluffy pushovers that she could take out in her sleep. Yet, as she fought her way deeper into Norman's Gym, she found herself and her Pokémon growing steadily more worn. There were no tricks, no super-effective moves, just the occasional stat-boosting item and pure power. Snowe regretted challenging Cheren to a race to get through the Gym and get to it's Leader first. With his skill, he had probably already won.

Her final opponent's Linoone fainted, leaving Snowe only one closed door away from the leader. All of her partners were in hardly any condition to battle, except for her secret weapon. Although he had no resistances to normal types, her Braviary knew a couple of fighting type moves. With any luck, he could land a critical strike before whatever was on the other side of the door could even dare to blink. Snowe psyched herself up one more time before pushing open the door to challenge Norman.

It took Snowe a few moments to realize what was going on. Rather than finding an empty room and a wise old Pokémon Master, she found herself walking into the middle of an intense battle. Through the chaos, she expected to see Cheren barking orders at his teammate, but to Snowe's surprise she saw him emerge from a door on the opposite side of the room, his expression as perplexed as hers. She only had to spot a hovering Chandelure to deduce the Gym Leader's true challenger. Standing behind the Pokémon, with a fire in her eyes more intense than Chandelure's flames, Bianca commanded her partner to use Psychic. Her opponent, a white sloth-like Pokémon still unfamiliar to Snowe, held it's head in anguish.

"Vigoroth, use Faint Attack!" Norman commanded. Vigoroth shook himself loose from the attack and ran forward, disappearing.

"Bianca, be careful!" Cheren shouted. "Chandelure wont be able to withstand this one!" Desperately, Chandelure looked around the battlefield, unable to locate her opponent. When it was too late to dodge, Norman's Vigoroth went barreling into Bianca's Pokémon, knocking her out. Immediately, Bianca sent out her next monster, her Mienshao. Norman's expression stiffened; he knew his Vigoroth wouldn't be able to take a single hit from Mienshao. Though his Pokémon fell with Mienshao's Return attack, a confident grin was able to escape his tense facade. He sent out his trump card, Slaking. This was the second one Bianca had fought, but the power it radiated made it's predecessor more akin to a kitten than a gorilla. She knew she had to act quickly and commanded Mienshao to use Fake Out, making her opponent flinch and buying her a little more time.

"Slaking are incredibly lazy, Bianca," Cheren advised. "Attack now before it gets the nerve to strike."

"Right," Bianca replied. Her brow furrowed with determination to a degree neither Cheren or Snowe had ever seen in her. "Use Focus Blast, Mienshao!" Her Pokémon dutifully obeyed it's order and released a blue ball of energy, directing it at its opponent. It burst suddenly on impact with Slaking, leaving the Pokémon completely unconscious. Bianca, Cheren, and Snowe stood in stunned silence. For the first time, Bianca defeated a master trainer on her initial try, and one of the greatest for that matter. Slowly, her whole body was filled with the excitement of winning, causing her to shake with exhilaration.

"Did I just win?" she asked as Snowe and Cheren approached her.

"Duh," Snowe said, beaming and bumping fists. Now, Bianca was completely trembling, and held onto Cheren for support. Though it was subtle, Snowe spotted a warm smile and a longing gaze appear on Cheren's face as she clutched his arm. It surprised her for a mere second. She always had a suspicion about those two...

* * *

><p>In the pink glow of the sunset, Bianca held her new badge up, letting the light catch it. Though Snowe knew she was happy, the replacement of Bianca's victorious smile with a look of absolute dejection concerned her. Alone, they sat at the top of a hill overlooking the ocean, watching the dark waves eat away at the sand. Snowe hadn't been dragged out there to admire the scenery, not when Cheren was allowed to stay back in Petalburg to schmooze with the Gym Leader. She knew Bianca wanted to talk, but the girl's remarkable inability to burden others kept her silent. Luckily, Snowe could be blunt.<p>

"We're not out here to enjoy the scenery, are we Bianca?" she asked, trying to break the tension. "I mean, Hoenn's nice and all, but there's something important on you mind."

"I-it's..." she began, squirming in place. "It's about Cheren."

"I see, and what about Cheren?"

"_Oh_, I don't know," she lamented. "Maybe I'm making too much of it. H-he just seemed...really excited for me today -I mean not any more excited than you were- I felt like he was..._proud_ of me." Bianca paused, making sure that Snowe was following her cluttered discourse. Tired of skipping around the subject with words, she blurted out the root of her apprehension. "Do you think he likes me?"

Snowe giggled. "Is that all?"

"You don't look surprised..."

"_Hell no_," Snowe replied, putting an arm around Bianca. "He's liked you since the sandbox." Bianca stared out at the ocean, her eyes fixed on a set of rocks far away from shore. She appeared stunned by the news, and remained silent.

"You okay?"

"I-I think so," she muttered. "I guess I just never thought about it before."

"_So_," Snowe continued, "how do you feel about him? Do you like him back?"

"I don't have a clue," she answered. "I think I do, but maybe it's just because he likes me and he's the first guy to even notice me...arrrggh! I don't know!"

"Chill," Snowe said, rubbing her back. "Why don't you talk to him about it?

"I want to. I really do, but I don't want to ruin our trip," she said, pulling her knees up to her chin.

"I think you should, and soon. It never pays to drag these things out," Snowe advised. She could hear the scraping of shoes against the gravel path and turned to see Cheren approaching the girls. "Speak of the devil. Done sucking up to the big guys?"

"You're one to talk about devils," Cheren breathed. He took a seat on the grass next to Bianca. Snowe watched her tense up involuntarily. "I managed to get a better look at Norman's Slaking. I'd like to train one someday, but it'd take years before it get as powerful as his."

"Poké Nerd," Snowe teased.

"You could learn something from that man," Cheren chided. "He has the same taste in Pokémon as you, bulky and gutsy."

Snowe pulled a ball from her bag and released Joltik. He began to crawl up a lock of hair and stopped when he reached her cheek. "What about this little guy?"

"Exception that proves the rule," he explained, leaning over Bianca to give Snowe a sharp smile. Though she remained stoic, she knew Bianca's skin was crawling from Cheren's proximity. To alleviate this, and to give Bianca a chance to speak to Cheren, she stood and turned to the North. In the distance, a dark forest could be seen, beckoning her with the promise of interesting Pokémon.

"I think I'm going to go look for some native Pokémon," she thought aloud. "I'll meet you two back at the Pokémon Center in a few hours."

"A-are you sure you want to go alone?" Bianca asked, realizing that she'd be stuck alone with Cheren.

"I need to do some bonding with Joltik," she replied. "We haven't spent as much time together as we used to..."

"Good luck then," Cheren bid. "Bianca, let's go get some dinner." Flustered, Bianca followed Cheren as he stood. She looked at Snowe with intense concern. Snowe smiled in reply and watched as her friends strolled back towards Petalburg City. Someday, she hoped she would attend their wedding, but first they had to use tonight as a stepping stone.

* * *

><p>Though the forest was a bit farther away than Snowe predicted, she enjoyed her journey. A warm breeze swept across the plain, pushing and pressing the short grass that swallowed up the dirt road. Hoenn was far more rural than Unova, but Snowe didn't complain. It was a refreshing change of scenery. To watch the sun approach the horizon through a veil of clouds rather than smog gave her chills. The world, growing dark with the absence of the sun, was falling asleep around her. Her surroundings made her feel lonely. She stood out from them, towering over the path and the grassland like a lumbering giant. Snowe reveled in this isolation, enjoying a few hours to herself for the first time in weeks.<p>

She stopped only once to watch as Joltik climbed down Snowe's leg to examine a dandelion. Stooping down to keep track of the tiny Pokémon, she did not notice the figure emerging from Petalburg Woods. When Joltik finally became bored of the weed, he climbed onto Snowe's arm and they continued on their path. Though she saw the person approaching her, she assumed that he was just another passing trainer, and paid little attention to him. When he was close enough for the darkness to relinquish it's cover of the young man, Snowe froze in place. He continued towards her, and her heart struggled to beat. There was no doubt about it; he was there.

"_N_," she muttered. He stopped when he recognized her, his mouth hanging open in slight astonishment. This surprise quickly faded, replaced by an expression hardened by desperation.

"I need to speak with you," he said, his voice as soft and quiet as she remembered. "It's about my father..."

_Ghetsis_. Snowe knew from the moment she listened to his address in Accumula Town that there was something off-putting about him, but she never expected him to be as power-hungry and cold as he revealed. If she were N, and her father had regarded her as nothing more than a freak, she wouldn't even knowledge his existence. To even mention Ghetsis N must have learned something of critical importance.

"Has something happened?" she asked. In response, N beckoned for her to follow. He turned and swiftly began to walk back towards the forest. Snowe tailed behind, almost unable to keep up with his long, nervous stride. Rather than take the worn route, once they reached the forest N led them on a narrow, overgrown footpath. The air was thick with darkness and swarms of just-risen insects. Where ever he wanted to take her, it was sure to be isolated. N was taking extreme precautions to protect his privacy.

Soon, they stumbled upon a campsite tucked behind a fallen tree and an overgrown shrub. N had managed to pitch a tent, but his survival skills were obviously lacking, as the material hung haphazardly from its skeleton. The site was littered with the wrappers of several candy and protein bars, as well as bottles of sunblock, bug repellant, and repels. Crouching over and lighting a solar powered lantern, he asked Snowe to sit. She brushed off a section of the fallen tree and obliged.

In the low light, she could see an expression of perplexed determination plastered on his face. N wasted no time mincing words. "My father has escaped custody."

"What do you mean escaped? _How_?" she demanded, dumbfounded.

"The Shadow Triad," he replied. "They managed to rescue him."

"Great," Snowe groaned, putting her face in her palms. There was no doubt that after his defeat he would be without any resources, but there was no limit to what he was capable of. He used his charm and charisma to build a loyal, fanatical, and most essentially large following. Even if he started from the ground up, he could still pose a threat in the near-future.

"He's in hiding, but...I need to find him," N continued, a resolve in his voice that Snowe hadn't believed he was capable of. "That's why I sought you out."

"Wait, _you_ sought _me_ out?" she asked, believing that things had been the other way around. She had suspended her pursuit of N to placate Cheren's desire to lead their travels, and so far she had regarded this rendezvous as a pleasant coincidence.

"Yes. I have a request," he answered.

"Shoot."

"You've done far too much for me already. I'm afraid it might be too much to ask, but if you manage to find him, even if it's by accident, I want you to show him no mercy," he asked, a heated bitterness permeating his words. She understood the anger he felt, the absolute rage he was entitled to. Yet, it hurt her like a bolt of lightning to see him this upset. N didn't deserve to have these emotions forced upon him, not when he was still so naive about the world.

"I'd strangle him with my bare hands if I ever came across him again," she replied, accepting his request. "It wouldn't be asking too much. I'm on your side after all."

"Thank you, Snowe. I owe you far more than I could ever repay," he said, taking a seat on a log opposite Snowe. He put his hands between his knees and stared at the ground.

"Hey, we all need help at some point," she remarked, trying to keep her tone cheerful. Absently, she cleared the site of trash from her seat as she spoke. "N, you can come to me for anything anytime. I enjoy helping you because you're a good person, and good people deserve help."

He remained silent as she got from her seat to straighten up the campsite further, but he watched her the entire time. Though she felt his gaze on her, it no longer made her feel uncomfortable. In fact, she began to love his attention, even if he meant for it to be a secret.

"Do you mind if I fix your tent?" she asked. "It's a bit lopsided." He lifted his head and looked at her right in the face. As if he were lost in a faraway dream, his green eyes stared past Snowe. She smiled nervously, and to her surprise, he smiled back.

"I admit that I'm not very good at camping," he replied. "If you could give me a few tips I'd really appreciate it."

Snowe's heartbeat quickened. So far, his looks, his mystery, and his personality had charmed her, but it was his smile that was truly captivating. She would stay there until the sky glowed pink with the rising sun, reveling in every second spent with him.


	5. Chapter 5:  Electricity

Chapter Five: Electricity

-Note: This chapter is a little more risque than the other ones. I still consider it to be Teen-Rated, but if you are sensitive to alcohol use, smoking, and sexual situations please continue with caution. I warned you =)

Silently, Cheren watched the silhouette of Snowe's arm as she picked at a bouquet of flowers before her. Bianca still lay fast asleep on the other bed, softly snoring and recovering from a keyed up game of shuffleboard the trio had played that afternoon. Though he knew the seasickness was keeping him awake, Cheren couldn't understand why Snowe wanted to spend half the night sitting up at the table, gazing out into the moonlit sea, and plucking away at a vaseful of daffodils.

Then he remembered her strange behavior just the other night. When she hadn't returned to Petalburg City by midnight, Cheren and Bianca went searching for her. Dawn came, and there was still no trace of her. It wasn't until they went back to the city to contact the police did she finally return to them, barely apologetic and eyes dark with exhaustion. She claimed that she had simply been hunting for Pokémon and lost track of time, but Cheren knew her better than that. For some reason, she felt the need to lie to them, but since her behavior became more amicable over the following days, he let it go. Now, he wondered if she had been sleeping at all and if what really happened in Petalburg Woods was eating away at her.

Cheren knew nothing of the long night she spent with N, of the hours spent talking, and of the deadly affinity Snowe had formed with him. How could he know that this affection was what drove her from sleep? Unaware that Cheren was watching her, Snowe put her head in her hands in disappointment. The more hours she put between their meeting, the more longing she felt. She promised herself that she wouldn't let this develop into more than an innocent crush, but now that she'd talked with him, laughed with him, and walked beside him, she felt herself falling for him.

Their night in the woods had gotten the better of her. Though he spoke little, she managed to learn more about him through his silence. A kind listener, N was happy to hear out the near entirety of her life story. He was still terribly naive about the most simple of social matters, but in the few months he had been away from his father he had learned much. To Snowe, he was no longer the creepy boy who had approached her in Accumula Town. He became a strong, soft-spoken young man with a great sense of justice and more compassionate than Snowe could ever dream to be.

He had even insisted on leading her out of the woods as the dawn broke. He bid her farewell with a smile, wishing her all the luck on her journey his kindness could muster.

_ "When can I see you again?" she blurted out, not wanting the moment to end. N appeared forlorn as he thought._

_ "I don't know, but I know this won't be the last time," he answered. Snowe sighed and looked at the ground, feeling foolish to even bring up the subject. She knew that she had a journey, and that he needed to hide. Seeing each other should have been a low priority. Carefully, almost unsurely, N reached out his hand and lifted her chin. Barely aware of what she was doing, Snowe gently rested her hand on his forearm and looked into his eyes. They burned like a green fire with determination._

_ "This _won't_ be the last time," he repeated. _

She fell for him as a desperate man falls off of a building.

Perplexed at what to make of Snowe, Cheren rolled over and watched Bianca's stomach rise and fall beneath the sheets, forcing himself into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

><p>Snowe and Bianca dropped their chairs onto the beach, jamming them into the wet sand to avoid watching them float away. Cheren was far behind the girls, struggling to haul a cooler across the hot sand, burning his feet in the process. Snowe couldn't help but laugh as he crossed the beach, skipping like a school girl to avoid burning his soles.<p>

"That's your boyfriend with the pale chest and neon green trunks," she teased, elbowing Bianca. She turned bright red and covered her face.

"H-he isn't my boyfriend," she mumbled. Snowe giggled and pulled her tank off, revealing a tiny black bikini top. Bianca didn't follow by removing her cover-up. Rather, she folded her towel and set it on the back of her chair. Cheren managed to catch up to the girls. He stood horrified, watching Snowe wiggle out of her shorts, revealing a bikini bottom that just barely covered her butt.

"You don't know what modest is, do you?" he sighed, dropping the cooler and plopping down on it.

"At least people can look at my body and not be blinded by the white," she quipped. Bianca stood idly, reluctant to reveal her swimsuit in front of Cheren. Noticing this, Snowe beamed and began to tear at her cover-up. "You can't tan if you keep your clothes on. Strip Bee." To her horror, Snowe managed to pull the robe-like garment off, revealing a bikini more modest than Snowe's. It still flattered her, causing Cheren to look at the surf for a few moments while he adjusted.

"Why didn't we come to Sunnyshore sooner?" Snowe asked aloud, flopping onto her chair. "This sun is _sooo_ nice!" Bianca copied her friend, but with less enthusiasm, still embarrassed by Snowe's behavior. The three enjoyed the Sinnoh sun for nearly an hour before Cheren grew bored and took a walk down the beach. Snowe watched him from behind a pair of dark glasses, disappointed that he didn't invite Bianca along.

A beach ball landed a short distance away from them, but they paid no attention to it. It wasn't until it happened twice more did she become annoyed. Believing it to be some kid with no sense of hand eye coordination, she turned around in her chair to see the source of the mischief. It was an adult man in an hideous hawaiian-print pair of shorts with a deep red afro. He ran towards the girls, and Snowe rolled her eyes. If Cheren was good for one thing, it was keeping the creeps away from her and Bianca. It stopped in front of them, casting a shadow over Snowe's body. A Flareon followed him and plopped it's head in Bianca's lap. She couldn't help but coo and stroke its soft fur.

"Would you lovely ladies like to play a game of volleyball with me and my friend?" he asked, drowning them in charm. Snowe pushed her sunglasses back up her nose.

"You're in my light," she said. "Can you move?" The man took a step to the side, but his Flareon stayed next to Bianca, lapping up her attention.

"You like my Pokémon?" he asked, turning his advances on Bianca.

"Oh yes. He's cute," she answered. "We're trainers too."

"Really?" he explained, turning his attention back to Snowe. "How about it girls? Why don't you come play with me and my friend, and maybe afterwards we'll let you battle us?" The man gestured to his friend on the far side of the beach. He sat up on a beach towel, smoking a cigarette, his eyes covered by a modern pair of sunglasses. Snowe found him far more interesting than the man standing before him, and much more powerful to boot.

"Why don't we just skip to the battle?" Snowe asked, filled with the desire to challenge the mysterious blonde friend. "If you and your buddy over there can handle it."

"He'll like you," the man said, taken aback by Snowe's bluntness. "And what about you, sweetheart?"

Bianca blushed, unsure what to make of the man's advances. She aimed a sideways glance towards the breaking waves, where Cheren was standing in the distance. "Um, okay. Let's go, Snowe."

Though she sensed Bianca's reluctance, Snowe desperately wanted to battle the redhead's friend. It could be a hairy situation, but Snowe promised herself that she wouldn't let things get too out of hand. It would only be a short game and a battle, a blip on the radar of their grand journey.

Snowe and Bianca left their things and followed the man to his friend's blanket. To Snowe's surprise, he grimaced as he saw them.

"What is this, Flint?" he complained. Snowe could feel his eyes on her from behind his glasses.

"This little lady here would like a battle with you," Flint answered, gesturing to Snowe.

"It's Snowe, not _little lady_," she corrected.

"Well, if she wants a battle, she can come down to the Gym tomorrow," he answered, ignoring Snowe. "I'm here to relax, not fight."

"So you're a Gym Leader?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied tersely. "Volkner. I don't take spontaneous challenges from amateurs. Make an appointment with someone at my Gym and I'll get back to you."

"_Amateur_?" Snowe snorted. Turning to Bianca, she barked, "Get me my badge case."

"Snowe..."

"_My. Badge. Case," _she repeated, anger bubbling up in her voice. Volkner remained unfazed by Snowe's burst of aggression. He remained unaware of the fuse he had just inadvertently lit. Bianca returned a short while later. Snowe clicked the case open and shoved it into Volkner's hands. Soon, his lips twisted into a smile and he stood up.

"C'mon Flint," he said, brushing sand from the back of his t-shirt. "I need help preparing my Gym. I'm accepting this girl's challenge."

"What about relaxing on the beach..."

"Screw the beach!" Snowe and Volkner snapped in unison.

"Tonight at eight," Volkner declared. "You'll have your battle."

Both Snowe and Volkner reached out and grabbed each other's hands, solidifying the challenge.

* * *

><p>Volkner's final Pokémon, his beloved Electivire fell, making Snowe the winner by a nose. He had managed to force her to use her final Pokémon, a cautious Elgyem that was more of a coddler than a fighter. Nonetheless, even her weakest Pokémon proved to be more powerful than his, and she was filled with vindication after this victory. Although he lost, Volkner appeared as charged as she was. That was what she liked to see in a trainer. Their reveling spirit was infectious, and soon Bianca, and Flint were keyed up and ready for a night out with the winner and loser.<p>

However, Cheren sat in silence next to Bianca on the sidelines, a sick feeling in his stomach. He hated how close Flint dared to stand beside her and the demeaning way he called her _doll-face_. Cheren was well aware of his angle, and he genuinely feared for Bianca and Snowe. He trusted his friends, but the honest truth was that they were girls, and the charms of attractive men could ruin them like lures to fish. They invited the girls, and Cheren by association, to swim with them in the moonlight. Though he had no desire to go back to the same beach they were at earlier to watch his best friend and his girl get seduced by these snake charmers, Cheren had no choice but to go. He was the only thing standing between them and an incredibly regretful night.

Every second he sat on that beach, watching the girls frolic with Volkner and Flint, was like another rock being dropped into his stomach. Of course he had been purposefully left out by the two older, more handsome men. They were alphas and he was just a beta. As Flint lifted Bianca onto his shoulders, the water falling away from her like a fountain in the shape of a goddess, the jealousy became too much of him. He stood and kicked at one of the many beer bottles that sat empty in the sand and took off down the beach, painfully aware that no one would notice his absence.

Cheren put distance between them until he ran out of beach of walk on. A wall of rocks at the base of a lighthouse halted his progress. Dejected, he climbed atop one that reached out into the sea and sat. Though he could still see and hear them, he did his best to ignore it, instead focusing on the great sea before him.

"Come on out, Piplup," a mouse-like voice spoke. A small, penguin Pokémon climbed onto the rock, ran down it, and dove into the water. Cheren turned to look at its trainer. A delicate young woman in a white dress stood before him, her brunette hair half-up in two wing-like ponytails. "_Oh_, I'm sorry to disturb you," she remarked.

"Oh, no," Cheren replied. "This is a public beach after all."

"Mind if I sit?" she asked, climbing the rock. Admittedly, Cheren was happy to have the woman as a distraction. For a little bit, he asked her about her Piplup, her favorite types of Pokémon, and anything else that kept his attention on her and not the party on the other side of the beach. Unfortunately, he soon ran out of things to say, but he could tell that didn't bother his companion. He could sense that she too was hiding from something and that she was sitting on that rock for the same reason as he. Cheren caught her gazing at the group frolicking in the ocean as well.

"You'd think that on nights like this people would be striving for some peace and quiet," he reflected.

"I feel the same way," she agreed, her quiet voice soothing his disquiet. "I like to come out here to try and sort out my problems. I grew up in Johto on the sea, so to be here and gaze into the ocean is just what I need when things go wrong." Cheren smiled at her, the stranger's candidness breathing a refreshing wind into his very heart. Yet, this didn't stop him from taking a final look back. Their arms around the girls, Flint and Volkner were leading them away from the beach. Cheren made a move to get up, but the strange girl placed her hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Don't go," she pleaded. "It'll only hurt." Cheren sat back, trusting the sincerity in the mysterious girl's voice.

* * *

><p>Before Snowe could protest, she felt herself being dragged by the arm down a corridor at the back of the Gym. Volkner had taken her so swiftly that she didn't have a chance to be sure that Bianca was okay. Though she had been giggling and carrying on, allowing Flint to grab a few hungry kisses every so often, Snowe knew that Bianca hadn't experienced this kind of situation. Either had she for that matter. Each time she told herself she wouldn't go farther, she found herself taking another drink or grabbing at Volkner. Now she was beginning to become scared. Her body was on auto-pilot, her mind buzzing with too much alcohol for her to take back manual control.<p>

She and Volkner emerged from the hall in what appeared to be his apartment. It was tiny, cramped with furniture and the miscellaneous junk that bachelors tend to collect. He slammed the door and pulled her against his torso. Snowe was surprised. His hold on her was limp, and his gaze, although he held it on her, was far away. Not sure what to make of it, but still buzzing with more energy than a child on a sugar rush, she crashed her lips into his. He received her with far more enthusiasm than she anticipated, and they soon found themselves absorbed in each other on his bed. Occasionally, the fleeting thought that this was a gigantic mistake fluttered through Snowe's mind like a trapped bird. Her body, heavy with desire and a loneliness she didn't understand, weighed down her judgement.

N left a larger hole in her than Snowe was able to deal with.

Like most of her endeavors, she was ready to go into a passionate night with this handsome Gym Leader with full force, but as Volkner pulled at the strings on the back of her bikini, he stopped.

"Yeah, I tie a knot back there as a perve deterrent," she remarked, reaching behind her back to struggle with the knot. Volkner withdrew his hand and sat up on top of her. His gaze left her, instead settling on the sea outside of the window above the bed.

"Keep your top on," he mumbled. "I changed my mind." Dumbfounded, Snowe looked up at him as he reached over to his nightstand for a pack of cigarettes. He lit one, opened the window, and leaned out over the sea. Snowe sat up and took a space next to him. His attention was captivated by two figures on the far end of the beach. Snowe recognized one of them as Cheren, then felt a huge sense of dread. In their lust, they had forgotten about him. The other figure was unknown to Snowe. To her surprise, it was a beautiful girl, who was actually talking to Cheren. She seemed to be the focus on which Volkner's eyes laid.

"Do you know who that is?" she asked, feeling the effects of the alcohol draining away from her as the mood became solemn.

"An old friend," he answered. This was followed by a long silence before he elaborated. "She's an old girlfriend to be more accurate."

"Is she stalking you or something?"

"Technically yes," he breathed. "I guess she wants me back, or something."

"Wow," Snowe declared. "I hate it when you make it clear to people that you want nothing to do with them, and they just keep coming back."

"Yeah," he trailed off. Snowe glared at him. All of the pieces were starting to fit together.

"You _still _love her, don't you?" she accused. He answered with silence. A deep rage filled Snowe. Swiftly, she smacked Volkner in the face. His cigarette dropped from his hand into the sand below.

"What the hell was that for!" he shouted, the violent action the only thing that drew his attention away from the window.

"Even though you obviously have a girl that's crazy enough about you to sit outside of your window all night, and you love her back, you let your creepy friend talk you into bringing an underage girl home to take advantage of her!" she argued.

"Wait...underage?"

"Yes, underage you sick bastard! Not by much but you get the picture!"

"I am going to kill Flint for this," he said slowly to himself. "Look-"

They were interrupted by what sounded like the shriek of a wounded Wingull emanating from below the window. Both looked below to see Bianca running across the beach, half dressed, hair a mess, and wearing one flip-flop. Cheren stood in surprise, watching her clumsily scurry onto the rock. Much to the astonishment and pleasure of Snowe, Bianca pulled him into a tight hug and gave him a hard kiss on the lips. Snowe smiled, sensing the joy of this accomplishment burn away the dirty feeling the night had left on her. She slid off of Volkner's bed and stood to leave.

"Go talk to that girl," she ordered, stretching.

"I think, I will," he replied, his face still burning from her strike. "If you're ever back in town, I'd like a rematch. Trainers with your attitude make the best opponents."

"We'll see, Volkner," she said, her voice softening. As he looked down at the girl on the beach, Snowe saw his eyes light up. She bade him good luck and hurried out of the Gym, knowing that he would need it.


	6. Chapter 6:  The Challenge

**Chapter Six: The Challenge**

_-Notice: I feel so stupid. I completely forgot about the whole "opposite gender character = Rowan's assistant = friend," so this weird meeting between Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum makes no sense cannon-wise. By the time I realized this, I was 90% done with the chapter, but since I've also seemed to disregard the fact that B/W takes seems to take place at least 10 years after D/P/Pt, I'm just going to roll with it. I'm sorry if this upsets people. It bothers me to no end too..._

_Way to murder cannon ookami..._

They had come to Sinnoh for the rough landscapes, the exotic Pokémon, and most of all, what they understood to be some of the toughest battles they would ever come across. Over the course of their tour, the trio found themselves winning the majority of their challenges. This prompted them to travel to the Battle Zone in the northeast of Sinnoh, an entire island dedicated to competitive battling.

While taking part in a double battle competition, Snowe and Cheren befriended Diamond and Pearl, a set of best friends from the southern part of Sinnoh. Unfortunately, the duo beat them. Luckily, they were willing to let Snowe, Cheren, and Bianca squat at Diamond's private villa until they left for the Johto region. The rest of the Sinnoh trip should have been more akin to a relaxing vacation than high-stress tournament.

That was, if Snowe could learn to keep her mouth shut.

The trainers relaxed by a private pool, letting their worries evaporate into the hot, tropical air. While Bianca and Snowe tanned, Cheren and Pearl discussed strategies for the Battle Tower. Notably absent from either activity was Diamond. Snowe pulled down her shades, watching the absent expression on his face as he stared at the street beside them. A girl their age, with long black hair and a pink scarf that fluttered in the breeze, walked along with her head stuck in a newspaper. Snowe rolled her eyes at the still present look of doofiness on his face.

"Go talk to her," Snowe commanded, still used to playing matchmaker for Cheren and Bianca. Diamond turned pink.

"Oh no," he protested. "I'd be weird."

"Want me to come with?" Snowe asked, getting up from her patio chair. Diamond looked at the ground, more embarrassed than he had ever been in his life. She wrapped a towel around her legs and motioned for him to follow. The other trainers watched them cross the street and stop outside of a cafe. The girl in the pink scarf sipped at a cup of lemonade, ignoring Snowe and Diamond. Snowe elbowed him to prompt some dialogue, but Diamond was interrupted before he could finish a single introduction.

"Not interested," she said, dropping the paper to glare at them with a pair of bright gray eyes. Awkwardly, Diamond turned around and began to walk back to his villa. Snowe gave the girl a dirty look and went to join her friend.

"Ugh, what a loser..." the girl mumbled, hiding her face behind the newspaper. Snowe had heard her, and she struggled to not say a word. She knew better than to fight with herself. To the horror of her friends, Snowe spun around and ripped the newspaper out of the girl's hands.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" she asked. Cheren hurried out of the pool and ran to her side, unsure if he was going to have to physically restrain her.

"I could ask you the same thing!" the girl sneered, rising to confront Snowe.

"He's a really nice guy," Snowe shouted, pointing to Diamond. "All he wanted to know was your name!"

"If he was any kind of Pokémon trainer, he'd know my name is Platinum," she scoffed. "I just finished the League challenge after all."

"Oh, big deal! It still doesn't give you the right to talk to him that way!"

"And what gives you the right to tell me what I can and can't do?"

"Your attitude, that's what!"

"Snowe, calm down," Cheren appeased, putting a hand on her shoulder. "She's not worth it."

"You should listen to your friend," Platinum advised. "You have no idea who you're up against."

"YOU BITCH I'M GONNA..." Snowe descended into an incoherent rant as Cheren held her back from Platinum with all of his might. Platinum watched her struggle against him with a look of contemptuous ennui, further infuriating Snowe. The nerve of Platinum to place herself on a pedestal higher than she, even though they were both League Champions in their own right. In her fury, she got the desire to throw something, and noticed Platinum's newspaper still crumpled in her hand. The headline of a smaller article caught her attention: "Mysterious White Pokémon spotted at Stark Mountain." Snowe ceased her floundering and became silent, her heart doing backflips at the implication of the article.

"If you're such a great trainer, then you must have made it to the top of that volcano," Snowe remarked, a plan to find N and get back at this smart aleck falling into place as she spoke.

"Stark Mountain? Loads of times," she answered, taking the bait.

"Back it up then," Snowe proposed. "Let's have a race. If I make it to the top of the mountain first, you have to go on a date with him." She pointed to Diamond, now so embarrassed that he wanted to drown himself in his pool.

"And if I win you have to be my slave for the rest of my vacation," Platinum countered. At this point, Cheren pulled Snowe away from her.

"Are you nuts?" he demanded. "You're a foreigner! How do you expect to know your way around a dangerous _volcano_ better than a native? And we don't have a week to spare if you do lose."

"Trust me Cheren, I won't lose," Snowe promised. "Besides, I'm sure the travel agency will refund our tickets to Olivine if it comes down to it." She turned to Platinum and stuck out her hand. "We have a deal."

Platinum regarded her hand as if it were an insect and limply shook it.

* * *

><p>Beneath the towering summit and between vats of bubbling magma, the group of six young trainers gathered. Pearl briefed her on all the dangers of Stark Mountain, from poisonous gasses to magma pits to earthquakes, but Snowe refused to concentrate. As early as yesterday, N had been there. This was her chance to see him again and touch base. As long as she made it up there to him, she'd the willing to <em>wade<em> through a puddle of lava. She noted Pearl's tip of using a small tunnel as a shortcut to a chamber that led right to the final leg of the climb. Both girls were ready, and on Diamond's word they would start.

"Ready..." Before he could finish, the group turned their heads, one by one, towards the sound of a diesel engine. A jeep led an envoy of three police vans in their direction. Snowe immediately recognized the driver of the vehicle, Looker. Her stomach dropped to around the level of her knees. Obviously, if she had made the connection between N, the mountain, and a mysterious white Pokémon, then Interpol would as well.

"What are you waiting for?" Snowe declared, walking towards the opening to a cavern. "Let's go!" Platinum glared and jogged after her, unwilling to let Snowe get a head start. Snowe no longer cared about beating her. Her only desire in that moment was to find N and aid in his escape before it was too late.

* * *

><p>Although Pearl hadn't mentioned how dirty Snowe would get, he was correct in directing her to his shortcut. The tunnel opened into a large chamber. Snowe tumbled onto the floor, scraping her knees against the hot soil. She found it hard to recover. The high temperature and noxious gasses made breathing almost impossible and distorted the air, making it almost impossible to get her bearings. Still, she managed to spot Platinum racing across the other side of the room, covered in soot and missing her scarf.<p>

"Oh no you don't!" Snowe shouted, ignoring her body's desperate pleas to turn around. She began to sprint towards the young Pokémon trainer. Platinum saw her and picked up the pace. Both were racing towards the exit of this broiler, and just beyond that was the climb to the summit. Victory was at the top of this raging volcano, and only one of the girls would be able to stand the heat. Snowe would be damned if she let this pansy win.

Platinum stopped just short of the exit, and within seconds Snowe figured out why. The entire mountain began to shake. Both girls dropped close to the ground in terror. They knew the risks before starting their contest, but neither had expected an earthquake. The lavacicles above began to chip off, the debris growing larger as the quake intensified.

"We need to get the hell out of here!" Snowe called. "Keep going!" Platinum seemed afraid to move, so Snowe made a mad dash for the girl and grabbed her wrist. She began to lead her out of the cave, but as they began to feel the suction of fresh air that guaranteed safety, a sudden jolt threw both girls to their feet. Platinum cried out in pain. Snowe pulled herself towards the girl. Her foot was twisted entirely in the other direction. She knew there was little she could do for Platinum except carry her out on her own. Carefully, and as steadily as she could in the still shaking cavern, Snowe lifted her bridal-style and began to limp towards the exit, her own kneecap oozing with blood. Despite her strength, another tremor sent the girls falling back onto the floor.

Suddenly, the shaking stopped, and Snowe nearly allowed herself to take a breath. A cry as jarring as the sound of twisting metal demanded her attention. She turned to see a large, four legged Pokémon climb down the wall of the cavern and stop in front of her. It's body appeared to be made of pure magma, but despite how unique it was, Snowe was unable to place a name to it.

"Snowe, we need to get out of here!" Platinum cried. "That's Heatran! It's a Legendary Pokémon, so there's no way we can outclass it!" Rather than listen, Snowe pulled a poke Ball from her bag. Platinum was right; she had no Pokémon that had an edge over this beast, but she needed to try anyway. Getting both of them out unharmed was going to be nearly impossible with this thing rampaging around. Besides, she had come to this island in search of a legendary battle. Who else was more qualified to give it to her than a Legendary Pokémon?

"Go, Zoroark!" she called, releasing her Pokémon. Next to Zekrom, Zoroark was the Pokémon Snowe found most difficult to capture. She was Snowe's most tenacious partner, and she knew that moxie could turn a loss into a win in just seconds. Heatran roared at Snowe and Zoroark in defiance, but trainer and Pokémon merely stood there, unfazed by the show of power. Snowe commanded Zoroark to use Hone Claws to show off her power, enraging Heatran. It made the first strike, landing a hard blow on Zoroark with Iron Head. Snowe realized it had been foolish to taunt it, and fought back with Night Daze. The black shockwave hit Heatran full-force, but it merely shook off the attack and roared again. It stomped it's foot against the ground, and a tower of lava shot up from beneath Zoroark's feet, sending the fox Pokémon into the air. She landed next to Snowe, her fur singed and energy lacking. Despite Snowe's willingness to give up at this point, more concern about the safety of Platinum and her Pokémon, Zoroark lifted herself from the ground. A small blue ball materialized in her hands, and Snowe beamed in pride. This was the attack she and Zoroark had been working on for weeks. Heatran was getting ready to launch an attack of its own, as its body glowed white-hot. Zoroark only needed a few seconds more to execute this attack, and it would be all over.

The ground began to shake once more and small torrents of flames began to shoot from Heatran's body, ushering the beginning of its attack. The ball in Zoroark's hands was now the size of a watermelon, but she needed a little more time. Heatran cried again and unleashed its attack. A wall of flames started towards Snowe.

"Zoroark, use Focus Blast!" she shouted, hoping that it wasn't too late. Zoroark pushed the ball forward at the last possible second, cutting a hole through the wall of fire, forcing it to dissolve. It hit Heatran square in the jaw, disappeared for a moment, and exploded with enough force to shake all of Stark Mountain.

"Snowe, catch it!" a new voice shouted. She threw her head over her shoulder to find Pearl, his striped polo covered in grime from crawling through the tunnels, rushing towards her. He tossed a spare Ultra Ball into her hands which she promptly chucked at the severely weakened Heatran. It made a sharp whistling sound, implying that Pearl had preprogramed it to provide a critical capture. The Ball shook only twice before clicking, ensuring the Pokémon's security.

Rather than congratulate Snowe, Pearl went to Platinum's side, wrapped his scarf around her broken ankle, and lifted her into his arms. "C'mon ladies, we need to get out of here." Snowe followed the two of them out of the cavern. They emerged on a short ledge near the top of the mountain. At one end sat the opening to the cavern, and on another was a steep staircase that led to the summit. Snowe hadn't forgotten the real reason why she was there, but Pearl and the others remained unaware of her true intentions.

"Do you have a flyer?" Pearl asked, believing that she would follow them off of the mountain. Snowe nodded her head.

"I'm still going to the top," she insisted, watching him as he released his Staraptor and carefully placed Platinum on top of it.

"You sure? It's a long way to the top yet, and your leg is _really _bleeding..."

"I've had worse," she sighed, looking down at her shins. A trail of blood had already reached the top of her boot, staining her socks. "It's just something I want to do. Tell the others to go back to the resort. I'll fly back when I'm done."

"As you wish," he conceded, hopping onto the back of Staraptor.

"Good luck, Snowe," Platinum bid. "Although, after what I just saw, I doubt you'll need it." With that, the two young trainers took off and Snowe began to ascend the steps, the confidence boost of the capture waning as she moved closer to N.

* * *

><p>Snowe took a step back in utter disbelief. Looking upon the abandoned cavern, she began to realize how much of a fool she had become in the last few weeks. There was no doubt that N had been living in what felt like a hole in the side of the mountain. Candy wrappers and fast food containers littered this site, just as they had at his last camp. Pillows, a blanket, and an old red rug took up a corner of the space. Upon examining it further, she found a few green hairs. White feathers lay scattered across the entire cave, blowing about the floor in the breeze.<p>

While she had known he was going to be there, what surprised her was how fast he had fled, and how close she had come to seeing him. Desperately, she turned to the wide entrance of the cavern and searched the skies, grasping for any sign of N and Reshiram. She knew deep inside that he was long gone, and that knowledge made her feel completely worthless. He really had no need for Snowe to protect him. Her constant following of him like some kind of obsessive paparazzi probably helped to drive N away, making her actions seem even more desperate and fanatical in hindsight.

Snowe was a strong girl, and it had been a very long time since she cried. With no more reason to be there, she released her Braviary and moved to mount the bird. Her Pokémon noticed the silent tears flowing down her cheeks. He refused to let Snowe climb onto his back. Instead, he nudged at her with his beak and rested his large head on her shoulder. Though he might not have understood why she cried, Snowe accepted his comfort and wrapped her arms around his neck, sobbing into his soft down.


	7. Chapter 7: The Ugly Side

**Chapter Seven: The Ugly Side**

The chill in the night air was more potent that evening in Ecruteak City, but the flickering jack-o-lanterns that graced the sidewalks emanated a spooky warmth that suited Snowe and her friends just fine. Halloween had arrived, and the entire city, from the store windows to the whirlwinds of fallen leaves shined golden-orange. The beauty and spookiness of the traditional town was what Snowe liked to see on Halloween. Even if she were too old to enjoy candy or get terrified anymore, she could still enjoy the atmosphere.

Bianca had somehow persuaded her and Cheren to dress up and attend a Halloween party for trainers and their Pokémon. They marched towards a dance theater, the site of the party, in a line that took up nearly the entire narrow street thanks to Bianca's enormous costume. She had found a wide-skirted dress that resembled the body of a Lilligant. Though she looked a tad ridiculous in her hoop skirt with a big, orange flower in her hair, the one that stole the show was Cheren. He wore a simple brown suit, but the gigantic, white, afro wig that covered his usually neat hair forced him to stand out. Bianca also claimed responsibility for Cheren's Wimsicott costume. Luckily for Cheren, he knew better than to complain. The uncomfortable expression on his face made Snowe burst out in laughter each time she saw it.

"Oh shut up," he whined. "At least my costume doesn't suit me as disturbingly well as yours does." Cheren whacked the devil-horned headband off of Snowe's crown. Snowe managed to pull his wig off before he shouted for a truce. Readjusting her horns, she looked down at her costume, hoping that her short, red dress would keep her butt covered in case she needed to battle someone.

"Oh, guys look!" Bianca shouted, pointing past a _torii_ that marked the South entrance into the city. A small, red Pokémon weakly limped across the path. Overcome with pity, Bianca broke from her friends and ran to the little Pokémon's side.

"Careful, Bianca," Cheren shouted, swiftly following her. Snowe pulled her Pokédex from a drawstring pouch and scanned the unknown creature.

**Vulpix: the Fox Pokémon**

**It controls balls of fire. As it grows, its six tails split from their tips to make more tails.**

**Type: Fire**

**Gender: Female**

**Status: Paralyzed.**

"Hey, we need to get this thing to a Pokémon Center," Snowe ordered. Carefully, Bianca put her hand out to the Vulpix. The Pokémon didn't bite or draw away from her.

"Okay sweetheart," Bianca muttered, softly taking Vulpix into her arms. "W-we're going to get you fixed up. Just stay calm." She lifted the Pokémon up and the three slowly walked to the nearby Pokémon center, being careful not to cause Vulpix any more distress. They were all business when they arrived, and a nurse was at the counter right away to fix up the injured Pokémon.

"Go on ahead of me," Bianca said, handing the Vulpix to the nurse. "I'll catch up as soon as we're done here."

"Are you sure?" Cheren asked.

"We can wait," Snowe added.

"No, go have fun," she commanded with a smile. With that, Cheren and Snowe took their leave and continued on to the dance house.

* * *

><p>Snowe and Cheren were pleasantly surprised as they entered the squat, wooden building. What was an Eastern-styled tea and dance house on the average day had been turned into the perfect Halloween venue. The white paper lanterns above them were outfitted with black light bulbs. The lights were rigged to flicker like candles, keeping the atmosphere dark. A thick fog stuck to the floor, biting Snowe's bare ankles with it's chill. At the front of the room, a group of tame Ghastly and Haunter hovered around a wooden stage, frightening the partygoers at random. One of the ghost Pokémon flew through the DJ, causing him to fall back into a speaker and interrupt the music.<p>

A man at a table on the far corner of the room took the pause to make an announcement. "Attention! This is the last chance to register for the double battle tournament. Anyone wishing to participate needs to choose their Pokémon and come up to the table. The tournament starts in ten minutes."

"Damn, Bianca isn't going to make it," Cheren remarked. "I promised her she'd be my partner."

"Want to partner up with me?" Snowe asked.

"No, I don't want to make her feel left out," he replied. "You were going to have to find a random partner anyway, so hurry up and register." Snowe nodded and pushed her way through the crowd towards the table.

"Your name, license, and your chosen Pokémon's species," the tournament organizer ordered. Snowe pulled her trainer card and a Poké Ball from her handbag.

"Snowe Weiss, and I'll be using a female Zoroark," she answered. Her stomach dropped as she watched the man scrutinize her license.

"_Hilda_ Weiss?" he asked. Snowe flushed.

"Hilda _Snowe_ Weiss," she replied. "I go by my middle name." The organizer shook his head, seemingly trying to understand kids these day, then punched her information into a laptop before handing her a number.

"You'll be assigned a partner based on your Pokémon's type," he explained. "When your number is called, you better get your butt on the stage. If you don't show, your partner will be automatically disqualified and you'll have to answer to them."

"Sounds good," Snowe replied. "Thank you." She walked close enough to Cheren to that he could see her gesture for him to move closer to the stage. "I need to stay close," she explained. "I have no idea when they'll call me up."

The lights above them dimmed, and the focus of the room shifted to the stage. The DJ switched the music from a sugary pop mix to something more spooky and ambient. From behind the curtain, the host of the night's event appeared. Cheren recognized him as the Ecruteak Gym Leader, Morty. The tournament organizer handed him a microphone from the front of the stage. Morty tapped it a few times for comic effect before speaking.

"Wow, there are _a lot_ of people here today," he said, covering his eyes from the spotlight and gazing into the crowd. "Thank you all for coming to the Sixth Annual Halloween Bash. Now, my publicist says I need to clear something up right away. I know some pictures of me have been printed in the tabloids." He paused as the crowd giggled. Cheren and Snowe rolled their eyes. Since arriving in Johto, this scandal had been the talk of the region. "I want to assure all of you that the smoke you see on the floor is just from a fog machine, not from me." The audience roared with laughter. Morty smiled and put an approving hand up at the crowd, gently silencing them.

"Now for something completely legal," he declared. "I'm happy to announce the first four competitors for tonight's tournament. To the left...your right...our competitors will be Joey from Cherrygrove City and Diana from Mahogany Town." The crowd cheered as a young boy and a twenty-something girl took the stage. Diana seemed unenthusiastic about having a child as a partner. "And on the other end of the stage, we have Hilda all the way from Unova and Yoshi from Cainwood City." Cheren grinned mockingly at the sound of Snowe's first name and received a hard punch on the arm in return. Quickly, Snowe made her way onto the stage and shook hands with her partner, a man dressed as a black-belt. From the way he carried himself, she could tell that his karate uniform wasn't a costume. Morty gestured to all four competitors. "There we have it, our first four participants everyone. Now, let me get the hell out of your way and let's start this competition."

Morty disappeared behind the curtain and the pop music began again. A projector displayed a countdown from five on the curtain. The four trainers readied their Poké Balls, and the moment the counter hit zero, four bright flashes of lit up the stage. Snowe's eyes adjusted to find a Hitmonlee standing next to her Zoroark and a Raticate and Mamoswine facing her.

Immediately, her partner ordered Hitmonlee to use Low Kick on the Raticate. Not missing a beat, Snowe had Zoroark hit the Mamoswine with Night Daze. Both opponents managed to dodge the attacks, and the Raticate struck back at Zoroark with Super Fang. Snowe cursed under her breath. Zoroark hadn't taken the hit well.

As for Mamoswine, its trainer ordered it to use Bulldoze. It charged at Snowe's team, knocking both Zoroark and Hitmonlee to the floor. Snowe looked at Yoshi and gestured to Mamoswine. They both knew that it was the real threat. Yoshi ordered his Hitmonlee to charge forward and attack with Blaze Kick. This distracted the other team from Zoroark, who began to charge her Focus Blast. Joey's Raticate knocked Hitmonlee off track with a powerful Iron Tail, but the diversion worked. Zoroark fired her Focus Blast, hitting Mamoswine square in the face, knocking it out.

The crowd applauded the first KO of the night. Snowe looked out on the audience and beamed. The roar of the crowd was her favorite part of competitive battling. Even if people were screaming "Go Hilda!" rather than "Go Snowe!" her heart still soared.

One person wasn't cheering. Rather than become a part of the momentum that made battles so great, this man appeared dead-set on spoiling the fun. His ornate mask caught Snowe's eye, but it was his crown that made her gaze freeze upon him.

_Snowe took the stairs two at a time, her empty lungs desperately inhaling the damp castle air. Time was running short; the Shadow Trio's little tour ensured that. He would be at the top, in his throne room, battling Alder, and no doubt defeating him with the power of the legendary Reshiram._

_She reached the landing, and stopped only as long as it took to catch her breath. Her mind dizzy with exhaustion and fear, she only now noticed the giant painting on the wall before her. It was a portrait, beautifully painted in the art nouveau style and framed in gold. Its subject made her feel as if someone had pressed an ice cube to her spine. The young "King" of Team Plasma stood in profile, a contemplative expression on his face, long, green ringlets twisting amongst white poppies._

The King stood before her now, watching her battle from behind a golden mask. At any other time, her body would be ecstatic with joy with his presence. Somehow, this time felt different. Her legs felt weak with apprehension as he met her gaze. Snowe felt something very wrong, as if she were gazing at dark thunderclouds on the horizon. He backed into the crowd, disappearing behind a curtain of people.

"Hilda! Pay attention!" her parter shouted. Snowe felt punched in the stomach. She had lost track of the battle. Hitmonlee was locked in combat with Joey's Raticate. As Snowe found her bearings, Raticate pushed Hitmonlee back and defeated him with Hyper Fang. Now, it was only Raticate and Zoroark. Quickly, Snowe ordered her Pokémon to stay as far away from Raticate as possible, but the speed of Joey's Pokémon was surprising, and it kept managing to close in on Zoroark.

"Night Daze, Zoroark!" she shouted. A black wave burst from the fox Pokémon. It managed to hit Raticate, yet it still hung on.

"Raticate, Super Fang!" Joey ordered. Snowe watched helplessly as Zoroark, still too worn from her last attack, took the attack in her chest. The wind was knocked from her, and she fainted at Snowe's feet. The crowd cheered for Joey at the extraordinary comeback. Dejected, Snowe recalled Zoroark and bustled off of the stage before the winner could be announced. Cheren was waiting for her at the stage exit.

"Snowe, what happened?" he asked, his tone more concerned about her than she thought possible.

"I...I'll be in the restroom," she mumbled, still clutching Zoroark's Poké Ball in her hand. Once locked in the tiny bathroom, she released her Pokémon and began to administer a Hyper Potion. "I'm so sorry," she mumbled. "That was so...ugly of me. I'll never let myself get distracted like that ever again." Zoroark growled affectionately at her. Although she was her toughest Pokémon, she still knew how to comfort Snowe. Snowe wrapped her arms around the Pokémon.

"He's here," she remarked. "What do I do?" Zoroark broke away from her trainer and scratched at the bathroom door. Slowly, Snowe reached for the doorknob.

"Sniff him out for me," she ordered, biting her lip with agitation. Pulling the door open, Snowe allowed Zoroark to run ahead of her onto the dance floor. Immediately, she bulldozed through the crowd, focusing on the monarch. Snowe was just as polite as her Pokémon as she shoved people aside. Luckily, everyone was too focused on the next battle to pay any attention. Zoroark stopped a few yards short of the wall and pointed to a caped man. His back was turned to them, his attention focused on the stage. Snowe commanded her Pokémon to stay put and she slowly stepped towards him. When she was just close enough, she gently pulled on his shirtsleeve. He recoiled abruptly and spun around to meet her gaze. When he realized who it was, his posture relaxed.

"What are you doing here, N?" she asked, her wavering voice nearly lost in the sound of music and cheering.

He stood in silence for a moment, then shook himself out of disbelief. "I came here to enjoy the party." Snowe stared at him in disbelief, more shocked than angry. "I know what you're thinking. I shouldn't be out in public with so many people, but I had to...I wanted to."

"I'm just surprised," she remarked. "As long as you're being careful, which I assume is what the mask is for, I can't condemn you. I-I'm not mad if that's what you're thinking. I just can't believe you're here." To her horror, she was speaking quickly. Blushing, she dropped her gaze to her feet. The battle on the stage drew to a close. The partygoers erupted in cheers for the next two winners. Morty appeared on the stage to announce an intermission before the next set of battles, but N and Snowe remained oblivious to the action.

"I've never been in this type of setting before," N admitted. "There had always been ceremonies or dinner parties at the castle, but I've never been a participant, just the focus."

"That's...really depressing," Snowe replied with a half smile. "It's good that you're here then." She paused, trying to figure out what to say. "I wanted to see you again anyway, so it's lucky that we bumped into each other too."

N noticed her apprehension. Her focus still hadn't moved from the floor. He moved to reach his hand out to her, but instead she grabbed his wrist. A slow-tempo rock song began to play. A column of heat rose from his chest and broke into his head, tinting his face bright red behind his mask.

"You've never been to a party before, so I guess that means you've never slow danced with a girl either?" she thought aloud. Slowly, she lifted her eyes to his face. "To be honest, I've never danced with a guy myself. I have no clue how things ended up that way, but...d-do you want to dance?"

N answered by silently allowing her to pull him away from the wall. Snowe's hands shook as she placed them on his shoulders, as did his as he found her waist. For a minute or so, they swayed awkwardly back and forth in silence, Snowe's mind buzzing so fervently that she could barely hear the song. Only the touch of his hand kept her anchored to reality. She wondered if his speechlessness was for the same reason as her.

"It's a shame that you and I had to meet the way we did," he mused, looking past her shoulder. "I would have liked to have gotten to know you as more of a friend than an adversary."

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "Aren't we friends now? I consider you my friend. Who cares if things were...rusty at first? Anyway, it was your father's manipulation anyway that kept us on opposite sides." She paused. "I never thought of you as an enemy. It was just circumstance, N, and circumstances have changed."

"You really care about me as a friend?" he asked, his attention finally landing on her.

"Yes, I do," she said weakly, his eyes sending a bolt of green lightning through her chest. "Maybe even more than friends should." Hesitantly, she reached up to touch his mask. Just as she was about to remove the disguise, he grabbed her hand and slowly pulled it away.

"Not now," he mumbled. "It might be too late for us. We've been dancing around, following, and chasing each other for nearly a year, with still no end in sight. I'm sorry."

"No," she protested. "_Now_." Snowe glared at him in defiance. For a moment, N considered pulling away, but her eyes flickered not with anger but with concern he had never felt from another human before. Slowly, but still much to Snowe's surprise, he wrapped his arms around her back and pulled here into an embrace.

"I've made camp at the Burned Tower at the edge of the city," he whispered. "Are you sure you want to go now?"

Snowe glanced around the room to locate Cheren. She only needed a little bit of time to talk to N, to make everything between them clear. If they left now, she could be back before the party ended.

"Yes, let's go," she answered. N pulled away from her and led her towards the exit. Zoroark met them at the door. Snowe rubbed her head and made a request. "Zoroark, can you make sure that no one follows us?" Zoroark stayed behind to give them distance, watching them disappear together into the cold, Halloween night.

* * *

><p>Tapping his fingers against his leg, Cheren grew impatient as he waited next to the bathroom door for Snowe to emerge. She had been in there for nearly ten minutes. While he understood how embarrassed she was, this isolation was out of character for her. Usually when she had a problem, she felt comfortable enough to come to him or Bianca. Something up there made her choke and lose the battle, and he wanted to know what.<p>

"Cheren!" Bianca emerged from the crowd and took his hand. "Vulpix decided that she wanted to join me!"

"That's great," he said, trying to clear the air of his worry. Bianca perceived something wrong.

"What's going on? W-where's Snowe?" Cheren explained all of what he understood. Rather than wait patiently for Snowe to emerge from the bathroom, Bianca began to tap on the door.

"Snowe! What's wrong?" Bianca called. "Come out and talk to..."

Creaking on its hinges, the door slowly opened. Bianca and Cheren stuck their heads through the doorframe to find an empty bathroom. Cheren felt a chill settle in his gut. He withdrew his head and began to frantically scan the dance floor for any sign of Snowe. Unable to distinguish her in the crowd, he and Bianca went out and manually searched for her. After a few minutes, Cheren took a position by the stage and crossed his arms in frustration. He continued to scour the room with his eyes, searching for the plastic horns she wore on her head.

Although she was nearly indistinguishable from any other brunette by the back of her head, he watched as a girl of her height and build walked towards the exit, her red dress fluttering in the breeze of the opening door. Cheren made a motion to run after her, but he stopped dead as he noticed the man who accompanied her out.

Tall. Long, green hair. There was only one person who matched that description who Snowe would willingly leave with. N had returned, and Snowe had felt the need to keep his reappearance from them.

"H-have you seen her?" Bianca asked, approaching Cheren from the side.

"I think I just saw her leave," he answered. "But why should we let her spoil the night? Let's stay, Bianca. She'll turn up when she damn well pleases."

"Are you sure?" Bianca asked. Cheren pulled her close and kissed her on the forehead.

"She doesn't need us. Snowe can handle herself."

* * *

><p>As she climbed a ladder that led to the uppermost accessible part of the gutted tower, the anxiety she just felt at the party began to melt away. In reality, N was a peaceful individual and very easy to be around. Perhaps the pressure of the crowd made their reunion all the more nerve-racking. That wasn't to say she still didn't feel a little bit of apprehension. She still shook, causing her to lose her footing in her high heels and fall down a few rungs. N took her hand, keeping her steady as she made it to the top.<p>

This hiding place was much the same as the last. A couple of sleeping bags piled in the corner served as a bed. A tarp was pitched over the blankets to keep any rain out. The ceiling was partially collapsed, allowing moonlight to infiltrate the room. For once, no trash littered the site, apart from a small pile of dirty clothes.

"Occasionally, a burglar will show up to loot the basement, but I haven't been noticed in the week I've been here," he assured as he surveyed the floors below them through a hole in the wall. "I'm sorry that this place isn't very comfortable, but I'm sure that we won't be bothered here."

Snowe made her way to the sleeping bags, desperate to remove her heels yet terrified of splinters. She plopped down and slipped out of her shoes, unsure what move to make next. N continued to look out of the wall, gazing at the sea of orange trees and the far mountains that halted their expansion.

"What's on your mind?"

He looked at her over his shoulder, his eyes darting from her bare feet to her plastic devil horns and everything in between. "You," he answered, smiling.

"That's...direct," she muttered, blushing.

"It's the truth," he said quietly. "Since the day we met in Accumula Town, when I heard the voice of your Snivy, I've known that you were special. Even after Zekrom chose you to be its partner and you defeated both me and my father, when you should have been at the pinnacle of impressiveness, you still managed to amaze me."

He turned back to the opening before continuing. "I still understand so little about human beings, but I've seen enough to realize that the ability to truly show kindness to those who oppose you is an exceptional trait. You're exceptional."

"I'm just a seventeen-year-old girl," she rebuked. "I was a mediocre student in school with no real direction in life. I might be a good Pokémon trainer, but there's really nothing else special about me. I told you all of this last time we talked. I really don't get how I'm exceptional." She readjusted her dress over her legs. "You're the one who's special. I know almost nothing concrete about you, but everything I do know is absolutely amazing. Somehow, you managed to be a decent human being, even though your dad deserves the worst parent of the century award. Not to mention you can freaking talk to Pokémon."

"I think we can agree to disagree then," he said, turning to her. For some reason, he seemed unable to shake off that smile. Snowe giggled and looked down at the floor as he crossed the room and took a seat on the bed. He fell backwards and put his arms behind his head. Again, they fell into silence.

"N?" she muttered. He blinked in response. Slowly, she leaned over and put her hand over his mask. This time, he let her pull it off, revealing his face. "You're pretty clear about how I feel about you, right?"

"I am," he answered. "And you can understand how I feel about you?"

"Yes," she said weakly, setting the mask aside on the floor. "So why are you resisting it?"

N sat up, forcing Snowe back. She felt him reach for her hand.

"I've been using my exile as an opportunity to learn to truly understand how the real world works, but the more I go out, the more I learn, the more I realize how little progress I've made. To be with you, to be the lover you deserve, I need to understand so much more. To start things now wouldn't be fair to you. What if I hurt you? I'd never be able to forgive myself."

"Is that all?" Snowe demanded. "Being hurt is a risk you're supposed to take if you want to be with someone. I'd take that risk for you."

His hand tightened around hers. "I don't know. It's all so-" Never before had N realized how large and expressive Snowe's blue eyes were. With her free hand, she stroked his cheek, all the while hypnotizing him with her gaze. He felt his eyelids drop. Snowe pressed her lips against his. This spark ignited an engine that powered something overwhelmingly human inside of him.

She pulled away, but this new warmth inside of him compelled N to pull her back. He kissed her with a depth she had never felt before. They fell back on the sleeping bags together, embracing and lips-locked beneath a canopy of stars.

* * *

><p>"Is this where you've been all night?" a voice bellowed. Startled, Snowe raised herself instantly. Cheren, sans afro, stomped towards her, Bianca and Zoroark standing behind. Though Zoroark looked apologetic, Bianca wore an expression of disappointment on her face. The next thing she knew, Cheren grabbed the front of her dress and pulled her up.<p>

"Answer me damnit!" he shouted. Enraged, Zoroark head-butted Cheren in the back. He lost grip of Snowe and they tumbled to the floor. Bianca scrambled to Cheren's side, urging him to calm down. Between heavy breaths, Cheren made an accusation. "You were here with N, weren't you?"

"Cheren, what are you talking about?" Bianca asked.

"I saw her leave the party with someone who had long, green hair," he snarled. "Tell the truth, Snowe!"

Snowe nearly broke her neck as she looked around the room. N wasn't there, and for that matter, neither were his things. A white feather blew across her hand. She felt her chest collapse.

"Where is he?" she demanded, ignoring Cheren's accusations. "Did you see him leave?"

"Give me a straight answer you crazy bitch!" he shouted, ripping away from Bianca to strike at Snowe. Bianca tackled his legs, causing him to fall forward onto the floor.

"S-stop it!" she cried. "Please calm down, Cheren!" Bianca scrambled to her feet and went to Snowe. She got on her knees to hold her friend, now sobbing dryly.

"He's gone," she mumbled. She said this several times, each repetition becoming more hysterical than the last. "He left me..."

"Let's go, Bianca," Cheren growled. "This is the third time she's run off on us. You're a fool to side with her this time."

"No," Bianca shouted. "S-she might owe us an explanation, but I won't leave her like this. She's my best friend."

"Did you see him?" Snowe whimpered. "He was just here as the sun came up. He was just here..."

"I'm sorry, we didn't. Zoroark took us here just a little while ago," Bianca answered softly. Snowe began to wail with more intensity. Even Cheren couldn't ignore the pain she felt. He crouched in front of Snowe and put a hand on her shoulder.

"_Please_ Snowe," he begged, his voice still tinged with betrayal. "Tell us what's going on."

Snowe grabbed at the front of his shirt and he put his arms around her. She sobbed onto his shoulder as Bianca held both of them. Snowe, for the first time in her life, prayed, wishing above all else that the two of them could forgive her...and that he would come back.


	8. Chapter 8:  Red

**Chapter Eight: Red**

The cheerful dawn fought against the night, but Blackthorn City wouldn't meet the sun until late in the morning. Mt. Silver held back the light from the East like a dam, its long shadow reaching into Johto like a cold hand, holding the land under darkness. A sunrise wouldn't have brightened Snowe's mood. Daybreak wouldn't be missed. She had climbed to the top of a large rock formation at the North entrance of town to enjoy the dimness, the dark solitude calming her mind.

Bianca and Cheren hadn't been happy about her third, unannounced disappearance. Guilty chills ran down her spine every time she thought about the other night. Backed into a corner, Snowe was forced to come clean. The nights she wandered away, the private moments she had become preoccupied, even all the times they got lost on her wild goose chases were all about him. She kept them in the dark about N, and she had never seen them look so disappointed in her life.

Yet, they wanted to help her. They were actually supporting her decision to go after and be with N, even though they were aware of the truth, that this trip was about him and not them. She didn't deserve them, not by a long shot.

_"Snowe," Bianca spoke softly, still holding her friend on the floor of the tower. Cheren shuffled around the room, searching for anything that would help him understand the situation more clearly. "You're my best friend. If finding him will make you happy, then I'm behind you 110%"_

_"I guess the same goes for me," Cheren added, picking up a crumpled piece of paper. "You shouldn't have kept us in the dark about this, but it doesn't change that fact that you'll need our help if you want to find him." He examined the paper, a grin slowly conquering his face. "For example, without me you wouldn't know where he's headed next."_

_Snowe gestured for him to hand her the paper, skepticism marring her face. She snatched it from her hands, and as her eyes skimmed the paper, they reignited, burning away her melancholy._

_"I can't begin to apologize," she mumbled, "but I can thank the hell out of you."_

Snowe unfolded the paper and looked over it again. It was an excerpt of an article from Trainer Tribune Weekly, detailing the career of a Pokémon Master named Red. She had no doubts that this was the same Red who Leaf spent her childhood with, but that wasn't the reason the article was so important. At the bottom, circled in red ink, was a single sentence.

"It is believed that Red currently trains in isolation at the top of Mt. Silver."

Why he wanted to go there, or if he was really going to be there, was an unknown variable to Snowe. That barely mattered. It was her best, and only, clue to his whereabouts.

* * *

><p><em>"Chuuu?"<em>

Red interrupted his staring contest with the sky and reached down to stoke his Pikachu's ears. The electric rodent pulled at his pant leg, appealing to his trainer to take shelter before the dark, heavy clouds unloaded their fury. If Pikachu was worried, the storm was going to be intense. Still, Red made no motion to return to his cavern. He tried to anticipate whether the clouds would unleash rain or snow. Though lightning danced across the Western sky, his altitude could easily turn a thunderstorm into a blizzard. In either case, he would need to secure the entrance to his camp.

Pikachu's ears shot up, catching the faint crunch of boots on snow. Red watched the creature scamper away from him towards the visitor. The young female beamed at the sight of Pikachu and caught him as he jumped into her arms. Pikachu rubbed his cheeks against her green, suede coat, generating static electricity and causing the tips of her hair to frizz.

"Hi, Leaf," Red greeted lowly, his voice barely heard against the whistling, alpine wind. Leaf walked Pikachu back to his trainer, her face bright at his greeting.

"Please, put a jacket on," she commanded, smiling. "I'm wearing four layers and just looking at you makes them all completely useless."

"Actually, I was thinking it was a bit muggy," he replied, snapping at the black thermal that served as his only protection against the cold. "But if you're cold, m'lady, you know where the cave is."

Leaf turned and shuffled through the snow towards the rocky entrance of Red's home. Although it was literally a hole in the side of the mountain, it looked as close to a house as a cave could. Red had managed to construct a sliding, wooden door to keep the elements out, and several wires burst from a drilled hole in the wall, leading to antennae for internet and television access and a large solar panel partially obscured by a snowdrift. As she slid the door open, Leaf looked over her shoulder. Red remained in place, still staring to the East at the billowing clouds.

"Hey, ground control to Red!" she called. "Get inside before a female Abomasnow decides you'd be the perfect mating partner!"

"Just a second," he answered. "I need to take care of things out here before that storm comes." Leaf stepped inside and removed her boots, letting her face let go of her happy facade. He hadn't always sounded so distant when he spoke. Red used to be so much more cheerful and mischievous. Now, she couldn't tell if he was happy to see her or not.

Since she visited last Spring, Red had managed to clean his cave up a bit. A wooden floor covered what had once been simple dirt, and now an honest-to-God bed occupied a cramped alcove on the far side of the wall. Red's Espeon snoozed beneath a table in the center of the room. Leaf was quiet as she unloaded her bag on top of it, gently setting down a care package from Red's mother as to not wake the Pokémon. While she waited for him, she took a seat at his desk and fingered through the papers strewn about it. A few of them were features on a trainer named Gold, a boy who had managed to beat Red not too long ago. Many more were simply weather and swarm reports, but a thick, glossy photograph caught her attention. From beneath a report about an unknown, dragon Pokémon, Leaf lifted a snapshot of Red and Blue as children, both dressed as knights and holding out bags for Halloween candy. The corners of her mouth rose in a longing smile. How she wished they could all go back to those days...

Red pushed the door open, and hurried inside, stomping the snow off of his boots. The wind had already begun to pick up ahead of the storm, lifting the top layer of snow into the air. Pikachu shook his fur out and snuggled next to Espeon for warmth.

"Storm or not, there's going to be a whiteout," he remarked. "Get comfortable. You're going to be here for a while."

"Fine by me," Leaf declared, hastily putting the photo back and putting her feet up at his desk. "Your mom made me bring cookies and peanut butter, so I think we'll live." Red threw himself on his sofa and began to dig into his mother's care package. The two began to catch up, asking the necessary_ "How's so and so's?"_ or _"What's going on at home's?"_ Although Red wasn't completely cut off from civilization, his social life consisted only of rare challengers and six Pokémon. These occasional visits from Leaf made up for the loneliness. She could speak more in an hour than most could in a year. This was a painfully apparent fact to Leaf. Red barely spoke as they caught up and passed around a jar of peanut butter, dipping in chocolate chip cookies.

"And what about Blue?" he asked. "Still running the Gym in Viridian?" Leaf involuntarily touched her ring finger. The diamond-studded band was a tad too large for her fingers, allowing her to twirl it around. Red had yet to catch its sparkle.

"He was doing renovations until a few weeks ago, getting his apartment ready and all," she answered, dreading the upcoming conversation. "I helped him move the last of his things in two Mondays ago, so he's there permanently now."

"I'm surprised you didn't move in with him," Red remarked, a hint of bitterness in his voice. "Then you're still in Pallet Town?"

"For now...until spring." Reluctantly, she held her hand off, doing her best not to seem too showy about the ring. Red leaned back and put his arm on the back of the couch. Although he smiled, she knew it was just for show.

"So, how long have you had that?" he asked, his faux cheerfulness unable to mask spite. Leaf took back her hand.

"A few weeks," she admitted. "We've been keeping things quiet."

"I see." Red retreated into silence. Leaf had always known that he felt a great deal of betrayal towards her for getting together with Blue, but she thought that as time went on, he had forgiven her some. Either that wasn't the case, or this announcement had split open old wounds.

"Red...I'm so sor-"

The lamp that hung above them began to flicker. Within seconds, it began to trash about at the bottom of its cord and the entire room began to shake. Red commanded Leaf to get under the table. Both slid into cover as the tremor intensified. The light broke free from the ceiling, shattering on the table. Leaf grabbed Red's arm, a soothing mechanism she picked up from experiencing an unusual number of earthquakes during their journey. As quickly as it began, the trembling mountain went still. Red waited a moment before crawling out from beneath the table to put his television and computer monitors upright. Leaf watched as Red scrambled for his boots and jacket.

"What are you doing?" she demanded. "What if there's another quake?"

"It's of my agreement with the Pokémon Rangers," he replied, hopping on one foot to get into his boot. "I'm allowed to live up here as long as I take care of anyone who climbs the mountain. I need to be sure that there wasn't-"

A faint rumble stopped his sentence short.

"...an avalanche," he finished. Pikachu jumped onto his desk and rolled a Poké Ball to the edge. Red took it and commanded Pikachu and Espeon to follow. "I could use some help, Leaf.

"Right," she answered. Red extended his hand to her and pulled her from beneath the table. Slipping into her boots, Leaf smiled as she watched him rush out into the worsening storm. On the outside, he may have been overshadowed by antipathy, but when it came down to it, he was the same old Red she grew up beside in Pallet Town.

* * *

><p>Cheren forced his eyes open, fighting the urge block out the cold. He was surrounded by a tight blanket of ice that glowed eerily. His cocoon was silent, but the lack of sensory input made it easier to realize the gravity of his situation. Slowly, he pushed back the snow above him and was relieved to find that his icy coffin was only a few inches below the surface. He dug himself out and managed to stand. What had been a shrub lined path near the tree-line of Mt. Silver was now an endless plain of white.<p>

A few moments went by before he realized that neither of his friends were in the position to dig themselves out. Frantically, he began to call their names, his voice growing more desperate with every unanswered cry. It took a moment for his intelligence to catch up to him. The last thing one should do on an avalanche-prone mountain is shout. Instead, he reached into his bag and released his Liepard, Emboar, and Noctowl. After commanding Noctowl to look for Red, who Cheren considered the closest person who could offer help, he sent his other two partners to comb the area in search of his friends.

While his Pokémon were occupied, he scanned the landscape for any sign of his friends, hopelessness taking an inch for every moment that went by without them. Though the seconds ticked by slowly, a short time had gone by in reality. No more than ten minutes went by since Cheren pulled himself from the snow. Emboar went dashing across the ice towards Liepard, who was digging at what had been the top of a tree. Cheren stumbled through the soft drifts and began to dig with his hands alongside of his Pokémon. His hands grazed the top of an orange mitten, and soon Bianca was able to squirm until the snow came up to her waist.

"_Heh_, I-I guess I'm a little stuck," she remarked with a smile. Struggling to pull her from the snow, Cheren enlisted the help of Emboar to come in and tug her out. He held her for a moment, still in shock from the avalanche. Bianca began to realize that the situation was more serious than she first thought. Rather than a quick tumble in the snow, they had been entombed. Snowe was nowhere to be seen. Bianca broke away from Cheren and began to shout her name.

"Keep it down!" a voice shouted. Bianca looked towards the top of the mountain to find two people and three Pokémon being led by Noctowl. She recognized one of them as Leaf from Pallet Town, but the male accompanying her was a stranger. It was he who shouted back at her. "The sound of your voice can cause another avalanche!"

"I...I know them," Leaf declared. She jogged a bit faster towards Cheren, her Vaporeon at her heels. "The two of you look okay, but what about your friend?"

"We...we haven't found her," he answered, still in shock.

"Call out any of your Pokémon that have a strong sense of smell," Red commanded Bianca. "That's the quickest way to find anyone buried under the snow." She complied silently, releasing Stoutland and Vulpix. Examining both Cheren and Bianca quickly, he noticed a red stain growing on Bianca's skirt. Leaning over, he deduced that she had been hit with debris. He directed his attention to Leaf. "She should patch that up right away before it gets worse. There's a first aid kit under my bed. Can you show her where my place is and get back here quickly?"

"I'll be right back," she replied. Leaf put a hand on Bianca's back. "Come with me, Bianca. Red will find your friend." The two girls began to ascend the mountain, leaving the boys and the Pokémon to do the grunt work.

Red waited until the girls were well out of earshot before speaking. "The truth is, if your friend hasn't buried herself out yet, she isn't going to be in good shape when we do get to her. Can you be prepared for that?"

Cheren avoided the chilly gaze of the mysterious Pokémon Master. He hoped that it wouldn't have to come to that. Though he knew he wouldn't be able to handle it, he nodded nonetheless. Red turned his attention to the Poké Ball in his hand. He tossed it up into the air, releasing his monster with a bright flash.

* * *

><p>Snowe's eyes snapped open and grew wide in the darkness. The intense pain in her chest made it painfully clear that she wasn't in very good shape. Her cheek was jammed against something rough, her head pinned between tons of ice and a tree. There was no way in knowing how far down the mountain she tumbled, but her twisted posture indicated that she had been hit with a massive amount of force. She tried to move, but even to twitch her finger made an intense flare of pain dance up her arm.<p>

Her breathing grew more shallow as the discomfort in her ribs began to grow sharper. Was this the end? Her stomach flopped over at the thought. Snowe wasn't ready to roll over and die just yet. She had so much left to discover. If her young life had been marked by the defeat of a criminal organization and the taming of a Legendary Pokémon, what adventures would her adult life have in store? To die a week short of her eighteenth birthday, alone, freezing or asphyxiating under a mountain of snow would be the epitome of unfairness.

She had far too much determination, or she was in far too much pain, to let her life flash before her eyes. Again, Snowe tried to move, but she was so tightly packed into the snow that the action proved futile. She couldn't even reach to release a Pokémon to save her.

"_Oh_, God," she breathed. "_Joltik_!" Her Pokémon had been crawling around in her bag when the wall of ice collided with them. She weakly called his name again, desperately hoping that his little body hadn't been crushed by the avalanche. A wave of pain shot through her body as she struggled to reach towards her side, stopping her dead and crushing her spirit. Compared to Joltik's life, hers meant little.

An unfelt tear slid down her numb face. With no Pokémon, no sign of her friends, no way to dig out herself out, this appeared to really be the end. She had only felt true fear like this once before, as she looked into the glowing red eyes of Zekrom. Now, that seemed like a piece of cake. Since that day, she had developed an unspoken bond with the black dragon, one that the legends suggested was predestined and eternal. If only she had brought it along with her...

Yet she hadn't. She had taken a page from N's book and allowed Zekrom to live at Dragonspiral Tower outside of a Poké Ball. Damn, even at the end she was letting him influence her. Her eyelids began to get heavy as she silently cursed her attraction towards him. Inside, what was left of her active mind shouted at her to stay awake, as sleep surely meant death in the cold. Yet, as the seconds ticked on, this part of her fell into disorder, and she could only focus on one, simple, fuzzy subject.

_"I love you, N..."_

* * *

><p>"Head south, Reshiram," N ordered, stroking the white dragon's next. The Pokémon began to bank right, soaring away from the rising storm clouds ahead of them. Although he had been flying on Reshiram's back for a solid year, N still wasn't used to strong winds and sudden movements. Turning was especially heart-stopping, as Reshiram would tip strongly, forcing N to face the ground hundreds of feet below them.<p>

Although Reshiram followed his command, it seemed reluctant to do so. The monster's piercing blue eyes remained locked on the thunderclouds, as if it were waiting.

_"Master N, something is coming this way,"_ it asserted. _"It may be beneficial to wait a moment longer."_

"You sound sure of yourself," N remarked, raising himself to examine the storm. Several intense bolts of lightning leapt between the clouds. Though it appeared to be a normal thundercloud, it began to grow in intensity at a rate that surprised N. He was no meteorologist, but he realized that within seconds a cloud shouldn't climb a mile into the sky and blacken within seconds. A loud clap of thunder shook the air, causing Reshiram to lose balance and flutter desperately in the air for a moment. Suddenly, Reshiram nosedived and spun around, heading back in the direction of Mt. Silver.

"What's going on?" N shouted, clinging to the dragon for dear life.

_"Zekrom has requested my assistance,"_ it replied, it's cry desperate. _"The Black Heroine is in grave danger, and it believes that it won't reach her in time."_

"Snowe..." he whispered, feeling his legs grow weak. Unconsciously, N gripped at Reshiram's fur. The monster felt this action and activated Turboblaze, hastening their pace before it was too late.


	9. Chapter 9:  Found

**Chapter Nine: Found**

Again, the trail went cold as Vaporeon lifted her head, losing the scent of the missing girl. Her webbed ears fell in disappointment. If Vaporeon or the other Pokémon didn't find the girl, she would be lost to the snow forever. Not wanting to give up, she sniffed at the surface of the ice. A new smell caught her attention, but it was not the warm aroma of a human. This was a Pokémon, and its scent grew more powerful the longer Vaporeon stood still. She began to paw at the snow, her ears now catching the sounds of chirping and digging.

A tiny hole opened in the snow, and a small yellow creature sprouted from it like a dandelion. It chirped wildly, growing excited at the sight of Vaporeon. She sniffed the tiny Pokémon and detected a faint trace of the missing girl's scent. Vaporeon began to howl, alerting her trainer of her discovery. Leaf jogged to her partner and spotted the tiny lemon-colored bug.

"Cheren!" she called. "This Pokémon...it belongs to Snowe, right?" Leaf bent over and let Joltik crawl onto her hand. He hugged her thumb, stealing her body heat. Cheren appeared at their side, his expression marginally relieved.

"Yes, this is her Joltik," he replied. Warmer now, Joltik began to thrash around in Leaf's hand, begging for their attention. "Can you show us where you came from?" To answer Cheren, he leapt from Leaf, landed on the snow, and began to scurry down the slope.

"You think she's nearby?" Leaf asked Cheren. He removed his glasses for a moment, polishing the fog off of the lenses.

"He was crawling in and out of her bag when the avalanche hit," Cheren replied. "They couldn't have been separated that much. Anyway, it's our best lead." They called to Red to follow, and the three followed Joltik nearly fifty yards down the mountain. Stopping at the base of a tree, Joltik began to claw at the snow, desperately trying to uncover his trainer. Pikachu jumped from Red's shoulder to assist, followed by the rest of the Pokémon. This left no room for the helpless trainers. They would only be able to help if Snowe was uncovered.

The hole grew deeper and deeper, yet it only yielded more ice and snow. The Pokémon began to tire, the frigid temperature and darkening sky hampering their efforts. Finally, Red grew impatient and ordered the Pokémon to fall back. Although the Pokémon his friends had brought were great for search and rescue, none of them could match the sheer power needed to move this amount of snow.

"Charizard!" he shouted, ignoring his own warnings about future avalanches. "I need you down here!" Abandoning his post in the sky with Cheren's Noctowl, the orange dragon swept down and landed behind them. Red motioned for everyone to stand back. "I want you to skim the top of the snow with your Flamethrower, Charizard. Pikachu, Espeon, I want you to check the area after each sweep. If you smell her, start digging." This Pokémon let out a collective cry, and Charizard unleashed his Flamethrower. The snow hissed and burst into steam as he swept across the ground with a beam of fire. He cleared another foot of snow before stopping to let the others investigate. They yielded nothing, and the cycle repeated itself thrice more.

After the fourth burn, Espeon's ears pricked and it began to excavate the snow. The other Pokémon swarmed the scene, assisting the dig. Even Joltik squeezed between them and scratched at the ground. Again, the humans were left to feel useless. Cheren looked at his feet, repeatedly telling himself that Snowe was okay, that she was too tough to let a little snow knock her down. Though they were still mostly strangers, Leaf found herself shaking with worry, and Red bit his lip in frustration.

The Pokémon stopped abruptly as Joltik went still. His claw caught a fiber from a pink, canvas bag. Stoutland inched forward to dig, but Joltik turned and sent a bolt of electricity her way. All of the Pokémon stepped back from Joltik, who was now pulsating with energy, cobalt and yellow sparks dripping off of his body. A white burst of power seized him, then expanded to about the size of a dog. Suddenly, the light appeared to explode, spreading in all directions. In Joltik's place, a new monster stood on four, powerful legs. Six, blue eyes directed their attention back to the snow, his two new appendages pulling at the bag. Cheren noticed the sparkles embedded in the spider's coat and realized the significance of what happened.

"I don't believe it," he mumbled to himself. "You finally evolved." Galvantula ignored Cheren's awe and managed to free the bag from the earth's frozen grasp. He allowed the other Pokémon to dig once more. Cheren allowed himself to get excited and pushed through the Pokémon. Suddenly, the Pokémon stopped, each looking around and sniffing the air.

Cheren felt the blood drain from his head. Despite their best efforts, the Pokémon had gone through all the snow, only to discover nothing but the bare earth beneath them.

* * *

><p>Limping, Bianca emerged from Red's cave. The pain of her injury caught up with her the moment she found herself safe at the top of the mountain. She stared down the slope, watching the blurry figures of Cheren, Red, and Leaf scour the hillside. The weather grew more inhospitable by the second as a thunderstorm rolled closer. The wind picked up, cloaking her friends with blowing snow. Torment pulsated through her chest. Again, she knew she'd be unable to help Snowe when she needed it most. This time, her inability pitch in could be deadly. Snowe wasn't fighting a criminal organization, she was fighting <em>death<em>. Bianca couldn't even bring three Gym Leaders to her on time. How could she save her life?

Distraught, Bianca sat down on a boulder and stared into the distance, tears sliding down her cheeks. If only her leg hadn't gone numb with pain. Then she'd be able to at least hobble down the mountain and assist in any way she could. Her wet cheeks burned from the cold. She hated how useless she was.

Through the haze of the snow and her bleary, green eyes, she could have sworn that she'd seen a large, white object soaring towards Mt. Silver's peak. Bianca wiped at her eyes with her coat sleeve, yet she still noticed the anomaly. It appeared to be a Pokémon she had never seen before, a fragile, ivory dragon, with eyes so piercingly blue that she could pick up their color even at this distance. The creature approached at high speed, growing larger and brighter against a backdrop of sable thunderclouds. Within moments, it zoomed past the top of the mountain, churning up the loose, top layer of snow in it's wake. Banking on a dime, it turned around in the air and dove downwards, skimming the ground as it traveled down the mountain. Removing the hand that shielded her eyes from the blowing snow, she spotted a man on the creature's back. At the sight of his long, emerald hair, Bianca was able to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Like a prince, N had arrived just in time to save Snowe. Bianca's mind eased, but only slightly. He may have arrived like a fairy tale, but the reality guaranteed that this story wouldn't end with a simple "Happily ever after."

N held tight to Reshiram's neck as they flew down the mountain, passing by trees and three bewildered trainers and their Pokémon. Cursing, he suppressed the frustration he felt by her friends' inability to find her. Reshiram would lead him right to her, no time wasted. The white dragon flew up suddenly and hovered a few feet above the ground. It spat an ember at the ground. It fizzled out, and N jumped from his partner's back.

_"The Mistress is here,"_ it declared, gesturing to a black mark it left on the snow. _"She isn't far from the surface."_

Frantically, N fell on his knees and began to dig at the snow with his hands. Not more than a minute went by before he saw the black fabric of a woman's jacket. He worked with more fury upon finding her, quickly uncovering the girl to her waist. With the majority of her body freed, he was able to pull her from the snow. N cradled her body, holding her close to warm her, whispering desperate pleas for her to hold on.

Reshiram let out a sudden roar, turning to bare its fangs at the trainers barreling down the mountain. N paid little mind to them, only concerned about the blue color of Snowe's skin.

"Let them pass," he commanded, focused only on the shallow breaths flowing from her lips. Leaf, Red, and Cheren walked past Reshiram cautiously, trying not to meet the gaze of the dragon. They watched as N held Snowe, fear growing in his eyes.

"She needs to be taken to a hospital," Red insisted, bending over to examine Snowe. "The nearest one is in Viridian City. You'll need to meet us there later, N. We're going to attract enough attention as is." Cheren's gaze shot from N to Red to back again. Although he was curious to know how they were acquainted, it needed to wait until Snowe was safe. He made a move to take her from N, but he pulled back, glaring at both trainers.

"I'm not leaving her side, not until I know she's okay," he protested, holding her more tightly.

"Then have fun in jail," Red retorted, snapping his fingers to call his Pokémon. "Cheren, go get your friend and meet us there." Rather than follow Red's orders, Cheren stood still, glaring at N through his glasses like a viper. N returned the expression.

"So help me God, if you weren't holding her right now, I'd break your nose," Cheren hissed. "Haven't you done enough to her already? It would break her heart to find out you were arrested while taking her to the hospital." N's expression evolved into one of shock. He hadn't expected Cheren to show his teeth like this. "Go ahead, be a hero, or do the smart thing and give her to Red."

Though he looked at Cheren with venom in his eyes, he saw his point. Reluctantly, N picked Snowe from the ground and placed her in Red's arms. Red sprang into action immediately, calling Charizard and mounting his Pokémon. He gestured to Leaf for climb up with them.

"If something happens to her, I'm holding both of you responsible," N mumbled, looking from Cheren to Red.

"Relax," Red replied, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his PokéGear. "I'll be in contact when the coast is clear. Just stay close behind." He threw the phone into N's hands and ordered his Charizard to keep it low. They took off, whisking Snowe away to Viridian, to help, away from N.

"She's a fighter," Cheren remarked, watching as N stared after them. "She wouldn't want us to worry.

"I know," N replied. "But don't you find it difficult not to?"

Cheren's gaze followed the flickering tail of Charizard as it faded deeper into the distance.

"Of course I do, but I know that when she wakes up and finds us worrying, she'll call us women and break our legs."

* * *

><p><em>A chill swept through her body. Slowly, Snowe opened her eyes, catching the glimpse of a handsome face. Almost immediately, she closed them, the cold wind sweeping away their moisture. Still, she felt the young man, she smelled his scent, his distant gaze emblazoned on the inside of her eyelids. Moments ago, she had been trapped in frozen limbo. Had he rescued her? No. He appeared uninvested, as if he were merely a vehicle taking her to the next destination. Had she slipped away? Was he some kind of angel of death with his black hair and scarlet eyes? Perhaps, but she felt warmth, and love, and trust from the Pokémon beneath her. Where ever he was taking her, she hoped she would arrive soon. Snowe was so very tired...<em>

The metronomic drone of a hospital monitor beckoned Snowe away from unconsciousness. Her arm and chest throbbed in tune with the machine, and when she lifted her head, it pulsated along with them. Together, her friends ran to her side, urging her to lie still. Rather than listen to Cheren and Bianca, she lifted herself up. Pain shot through her, forcing her back.

"Stay down," Cheren commanded gently. "Your left arm is completely shattered, and you have six cracked ribs." Snowe scowled at him, unable to speak from the stabbing discomfort. To alleviate this, Bianca carefully rearranged her pillows, allowing her to sit up. Though it pained her, there was nothing more Snowe hated than being stuck on her back.

"_Oh,_ Snowe," Bianca cried, no longer able to hold back her concern. "I-I thought you were going to die." Snowe returned her hug weakly, just barely able to lift her good arm to stroke her back.

"It was just a mountain of snow and ice," she dismissed, recalling the incident. "No biggie. I'm cool."

"We're _all_ lucky to be alive," Cheren subtly rebuked. "Especially you, Snowe. If it weren't for N, you'd still probably be out on the mountain."

"_Wait_," Snowe interrupted, inching forward, ignoring the rib pain. "_N_? He was there?"

Cheren explained N's sudden appearance and his almost supernatural ability to find her. Most likely, he was lurking outside of the hospital, waiting for an opportunity to see her. Snowe looked out of the window of her hospital room. Night had fallen, and a late autumn rainstorm buffeted the window with drizzle. She hoped that he would come to her soon, and that until then he was somewhere warm and dry.

"I'm so sorry, guys," Snowe mumbled. "This was all my fault again."

"No," Bianca yelped. "Don't say that, Snowe. _We_ followed _you_, and I for one would be willing to do it all over again if it helps make you happy."

"She's right," Cheren agreed. "We know you'd do the same plus some. Besides..." Snowe watched his eyes glide towards the door. Through the small, rectangular window, all three saw the back of a head, green hair facing them. "I don't think you'll need to chase after N anymore." Silently, Bianca and Cheren excused themselves for bed, walking hand in hand out of the room. Snowe stared at the door, watching it close behind them. N waited for a moment before slipping into the room. Upon seeing Snowe, her hair tousled, a bruise growing on her chin, he rushed towards her to kiss the crown of her head.

"You're okay," he whispered to himself. "Thank God, you're okay."

"Do you know how sloppy you are?" she asked, looking up at him, her brow furrowed. "You left a paper with your next destination just laying around. What if interpol found that?" N laughed dryly and pulled a chair towards the bed. He sat, arms resting on his knees, a tired smile on his face.

"Well, that was a mistake," he said, a hint of disbelief in his voice. "No wonder you were on Mt. Silver..."

"Looking for your enigmatic ass," she quipped.

"So, this really is all my fault?" he thought aloud. "I was sloppy, and it put you in danger." He paused and let out a sigh. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have even left you in Ecruteak..."

"That night...why _did_ you leave?" she mumbled, taking his hand. Although her hold was weak, N gripped back and gently stroked her knuckles with his thumb. "Everything was so perfect. I just...I didn't expect it."

"I don't have a good excuse," he apologized. "I can't even explain it. I guess...I guess I was scared. Nothing has ever made me feel so...peaceful than your presence. I kept looking up at the ceiling, with you sleeping in my arms, thinking, 'How could someone care this much about me?' It made me even more aware that I wouldn't know how to give you the same amount of affection in return. I had to run. If I stayed, if we woke up and started our lives together the next morning, it would only lead to heartbreak."

"Way to fulfill your own prediction," she replied, her tone unintentionally accusative. "I told you that it wouldn't be a problem, and even if it was I'd risk it."

N's hand slipped away from hers, and he stood from his seat. "I don't understand why you'd even risk your emotions on someone like me, a fr-"

"A _freak_?" she finished, staring him down. "Don't tell me that you actually think that about yourself..."

"My father was right," he murmured after a long silence. "I haven't seen anything to disprove it. It's been a year and I still can't relate to normal people."

"You aren't a freak, N," she said, fighting her broken ribs as she repositioned herself on the bed. "Besides, being normal is overrated. It's boring, and I don't want boring. I want _you_." Speaking to him was like talking to a wall. He fell silent, watching her with his lime-colored eyes, staring like he did on that day in Accumula Town. N heard the same determination in her voice that her Pokémon had attested to, and that she had shown in battle. Though her eyes glistened on the verge of tears, she held her gaze on him. "Are you going to leave me again?"

N remained stoic as he considered his options. Snowe was completely unable to read him, yet she accepted his silence as a confirmation. She turned away to hide an escaped tear. Now, her only wish was that he'd leave quickly, that he'd stop staring and just go. Another drop fell from her eye onto the sheets. With a creak, the bed sunk beside her, and she felt his arm fall against her shoulders. Gently, as to not disturb her broken bones, N wrapped himself around her and softly printed a kiss on her forehead.

"I can't stay for long," he admitted. "I have something I need to do..."

* * *

><p>His alarm let out a shrill scream. Cursing, Red fumbled at the clock, unwilling to roll out of bed and meet the morning. Rather than do the responsible thing, he let his heavy eyelids drop and resumed his snoozing. Still, he wouldn't be allowed to rest peacefully. Pikachu hopped onto the bed and pulled at his tee shirt, forcing him up. Listlessly, he switched on a coffee maker and collapsed into his desk chair, checking his e-mail as the machine brewed. Red yawned at his desk and reached down to scratch Pikachu's head. The electric mouse pulled away, his attention focused at the door.<p>

Silently, Red crept towards the door, listening carefully, hoping to catch the same sounds that roused his Pokémon. He slowly slid the door open a crack, only to recoil at the sight just outside of his home. Shutting his eyes, he tried to reconstruct what he had just seen. Certainly, it was a large Pokémon, and it was definitely one he was unfamiliar with. The only thing he could compare it to was the bastard child of a Ninetales and a Lugia, fluffy, white, and fearsome. He heard footsteps approaching his hideaway and reached for a baseball bat he kept near the door.

Three quiet knocks cut the air. Wordlessly, Red slid the door open, ready to beat down any intruder. Not many made it to the top of Mt. Silver, and those who did were either harmless trainers looking to battle or old Rocket Admins looking for revenge. Whoever brought that white dragon meant serious business. Much to his surprise, when his gaze met his visitor, he found a young man about his age, slightly taller, with long waves of moss colored hair spilling out from beneath a baseball cap. He squinted in disbelief and strain from the rising sun. For weeks, Red had received intel from interpol, news reports, and other miscellaneous tidbits about this man. Honestly, he had never imagined that the infamous N Harmonia, the _King_ of Team Plasma would come to him. Now the white Pokémon made sense; it was the partner he had heard about, the legendary Reshiram.

His disbelief was so great, Red found himself mute. Unable to react, he watched helplessly as Pikachu cautiously edged towards N, sniffed his pant-leg, and crawled up his side. The Pokémon settled on N's shoulder, his face bright with glee. He nuzzled N in the cheek. Red sighed and gestured for his visitor to come in from the cold.

Although they remained relatively quiet, only exchanging the most basic pleasantries, it became very obvious that N was seeking something. However, whatever he wanted seemed secondary to a good talk. Soon, the two young men were speaking like long-lost friends. They recalled their childhoods, the highlights of their adventures, the magic of Pokémon, and the beauty of brown-haired girls. Red felt that he and N got carried away in conversation for the same reason as him. It had been a long time since he had good company, and he wasn't willing to squander the opportunity.

Then, suddenly, as Red turned around to refill their coffee mugs, the reason for N's visit sprung up like jack in the box.

"I think I'm in a bit over my head," he mumbled. "I've been in hiding for way too long. When my time comes, when they do find me, there's going to be hell to pay."

"Are you asking me what you should do?" Red asked, setting the mugs down on the table. "I think you're as harmless as a Metapod, but that doesn't mean you're off the hook."

"I had good intentions," N mumbled defensively. "I only wanted to do what was best for Pokémon."

"Regardless of your intentions, you still hurt people _and_ Pokémon," Red explained. "The correct thing to do is go to the police. I've seen some of the highest Rocket executives get off with nothing just because they snitched on their friends. If you really hate Plasma, and if you really want to keep your freedom, you should give up all of the info you can." He paused to sip at his coffee, sneaking a peek at his guest though half-closed eyes. N appeared just as forlorn as he had when he arrived. "Why are you asking me for advice anyway? I'm a trainer, not a therapist or a detective..."

"You're similar in a lot of ways to someone I know...someone whose advice I really want but can't get," he replied. Red had an inkling about who this person was. Although they had never met, when Red caught word of the girl that singlehandedly took on this criminal organization, he took a great interest in the young woman. In fact, he wanted to track her down, to talk, to battle, just to know that someone else like him existed.

"Hilda Weiss?" he replied. N looked at the floor, but he was unable to suppress the corners of his lips as they curled into a subtle smile. "So, why not just ask her? From what I can gather, she must care a lot about you if she let you escape."

"I'd rather not implicate her in any of this," he said quietly, his voice quick. "Besides, she doesn't need to waste her time helping out someone like me. She has her own life, her own journey."

"Like it or not, I think you two are on the exact same journey," Red argued. "After what you went through, it seems like destiny. You two are supposed to be on the same path." Though he only knew the guy from the news and a quiet conversation over a cup of coffee, he realized that this man was in serious need of guidance. Red never liked to speak to someone like a child, but he felt that N needed a lecture or a pep-talk or some sage advice to get him on the right track. N reminded him too much of the darkest times of his life, when he stumbled through the proverbial wilderness and found himself at the top of Mt. Silver. "I know what it's like to not understand someone, even when I cared deeply about them. That's just what life is: trying to understand the people around you, failing, and trying again. Eventually, we all get it, but I don't think it's something that happens overnight," Red explained. A bitter look encompassed his face. "I just got needlessly philosophical, didn't I?"

"No," N denied. "That was very...enlightening. It's no wonder everyone considers you a legend."

"I'm just a trainer," he dismissed, giving N a halfhearted smile. "Just a regular guy like you."

Together, N and Red spent the morning regaling each other with stories of their separate adventures. N found that he wasn't so different from Red, and thus he realized that he wasn't so different from Snowe either. That afternoon, when he mounted Reshiram and took off for the east, he decided that he needed to do the right thing. Hopefully, his path would cross with Snowe's before that would happen. He felt optimistic; they were on the same journey after all.

* * *

><p>"So you're going to turn yourself in," Snowe replied candidly. He ran his fingertips up and down her shoulder, holding her as tightly as he could without provoking her broken ribs.<p>

"That's the plan," he affirmed. "Red is right. I need to do the ethical thing. I'll be in less trouble if I go quietly. Besides, it's my only chance at a normal life. If I don't go to the police, I'll be a fugitive forever, and I doubt that you want a fugitive for a boyfriend."

"That's a good point," she remarked, sighing. "I don't like the idea. I don't want you to go, but chances are you'd end up in jail anyway. The sooner you get it over with the better, like ripping off a band-aid."

"This is a hell of a band-aid, Snowe," he breathed. Snowe let out an airless laugh, holding her side as she giggled. N raised an eyebrow and gave her a wry smile. "What?"

"_Hehe, ow_, it's nothing. It's just the way you said that...so _serious_," she snickered, huddling closer to him.

"It's a _serious_ subject," he declared, his tone taunting. "When I leave this room, there's no way of telling when I'll see you next." Snowe laid her head against his chest, silently contemplating the true meaning of those words. His heart beat against her ear, slow and steady, just as calm as he was. To think of his leaving, to know that be together, they would need to separate, made her feel as if reality reached into her chest and squeezed her very soul. Yet, there was no way around it if they wanted some semblance of a normal life.

"Then I'll write to you," she promised. "I'll visit you and send you stuff, and I'll even talk to Looker to see if I can get you out quickly. Just please..." She craned her neck upwards, her blue eyes big and wavering with a vulnerability few had seen from the gutsy tomboy. "_Please_ come back to me."

Gently, N placed a hand on her cheek and stroked it. They hypnotized each other, pulling their faces together like gravity. Snowe closed her eyes and felt his kiss, soft and warm like the rain on a summer afternoon. She pulled him against her chest, pushing the limits of her body, ignoring her pain to revel in this moment. After several breathless kisses, N retreated slightly. In silence, he reached around his neck and lifted his necklace, the aqua and yellow planetoid he wore always. He looked into Snowe's eyes and placed the cord over her head.

"As sure as this world is round, I will come back to you." Snowe bowed her head to examine the medallion, for the first time becoming aware of it's beauty and opaline blue finish. She felt him embrace her and rub her back. Her eyes caught sight of a clock on the wall. It was late, and they both sensed that it was nearly time to part ways. Once more, N kissed her, then dropped his face to her cheek, making a final whispered confession. "Since the moment I met you, I loved you, more so now than ever before."

Reluctantly, as if he were about to walk to his grave, N slid from the bed and stood, facing the wall. He looked once over her shoulder, briefly, a silent glance serving as his final goodbye. Swiftly, he walked away, his gait as long and silent as it had always been. As the door slammed shut behind him, Snowe grasped at the pendant around her neck and realized that this time was that last that she'd see his back to her. Yet, she didn't cry. She didn't even feel the despair that she was rightly owed. Instead, she smiled. Though the scent he left on her would fade, and the weeks would pass in an endless cycle of sunrises and sunsets before she'd hear from him again, the token in her hands would remain hers until N's return. It was a promise, concrete and sincere, that she would no longer be forced to follow him, that he would return to her in Unova, and that they would walk together in the shadows of their Pokémon, beginning a journey together that would color their lives forever.

The End.

**Note: Stick around guys. There's going to be an epilogue/acknowledgements when I get a tad bit of spare time this weekend =)**


	10. Chapter 10:  Bonus Epilogue

**Bonus: Epilogue**

A look of pure determination on her face, Snowe cast her line into the river once more. Although she could out-fish Cheren, Bianca, or the average passerby any day, this breezy spring day was different. She wasn't battling against an amateur, she was battling the man who taught her everything she knew about the outdoors. This man was Whitaker Weiss, the one who romanced a young Pokémon trainer named Blanche and helped bring Snowe into the world. Few recognized this man as Snowe's father. She took more after her mother than her laid-back, pot-bellied, gray-eyed dad. Yet, they got along like mice and cheese. Their love of the outdoors was the mortar that held their relationship together, even despite the circumstances that kept them apart.

Even before she was born, Whitaker spent little time at home. That wasn't to say that he had a poor relationship with Snowe's mother. It was quite the opposite. Whitaker was a rolling stone, never wanting to stay in one spot for more than a few days. Naturally, he took a job as a truck driver to make a living from his wanderlust long before he met the future Mrs. Weiss. Snowe and her mother were very used to not seeing him for weeks at a time, and as Pokémon Trainers themselves, they remained very supportive.

Snowe had been fortunate to run into her father on the way to Nimbasa City. As she rode her bike across the Driftveil Drawbirdge, she spotted her father's big rig parked along the side of the water. He managed to find a few spare hours to get out of the cab and stretch his legs and allow his beloved Basculin to enjoy the water. Snowe pulled her bike to the side and sprinted down the riverbank, tackling her father with a hug. She hadn't seen him since she got out of the hospital last autumn, and she knew better than to waste a single moment before he had to leave once more.

Despite not catching a single thing, Snowe had the time of her life. She spent most of the early afternoon packing her father's caught fish in ice and showing off her Pokémon. Whitaker was particularly impressed by the sheen of Galvantula's coat and the Pokémon's fierce protectiveness of Snowe. She allowed the spider to play with Whitaker's Basculin as she continued fishing and regaling her father with tales of her adventure, particularly on how she managed to get Bianca and Cheren together.

"I didn't think the boy had it in him," Whitaker remarked, casting his line. "I pegged him for the kind of guy you find living in Nacerene City with a bunch of Purrloin."

"Well, they are together," Snowe replied. "You wouldn't know it unless you asked, but in private they're super handsy. It's kind of gross."

"Still, good for Cheren. That Bianca's a bit empty-headed, but she's a sweet girl." Her father added a veiled warning. "As long as he isn't getting handsy with you, I've got no problems with that boy." Snowe hid a smile from her father. She wondered how he would react if he found out about her evening with Volkner or the night she spent with N. Carefully, she steered the conversation away from boys.

"I think they left for Kanto together this morning," she said. "We met a couple in Pallet Town and they invited us to their wedding this weekend."

"And you're not going _why_?" Whitaker asked. "If it's a money problem just tell me how much you need. I got paid last week."

"Oh no," Snowe protested, nearly dropping her pole at the proposal. "I just think weddings are too mushy, that's all." That was a blatant lie. As much as she wished that she could attend as a show of support for Leaf and Blue, she knew how depressed she would get by being jammed between the happy couples and hungry-eyed single men. Snowe would be unable to enjoy the ceremony or the reception without the company of the only man she desired. She glanced down at the pendant hanging from her neck. Merely thinking about him caused her to pout involuntarily. At the wedding she'd be a wreck.

"So," her father began, sensing her hidden melancholy and changing the subject. "What ever happened to that young man, the leader of that cult thing, the one that detective asked you to find?" Snowe knew her father couldn't read minds. He could be forgiven for bringing that subject up. Although she had managed to summon the courage to tell her mother about N, she had yet to let her father in on the secret of their runaway romance.

"He's really a nice guy, believe it or not," she answered, trying not to sound too defensive. "He turned himself in while I was still in the hospital, and he managed to convince the investigators that his father, one of Plasma's higher ups, had manipulated him into becoming the leader. He needed a little help from me and Champion Alder to do that, but in the end he got off easy." Snowe paused, her next words elating and torturing her at the same time. "_Six months_. Minimum security prison and his own cell."

"Hm, well I guess if you vouched for the guy, he can't of been that bad," Whitaker supposed. "Kids get sucked into heavy stuff far too easily. After all, your brains are just mush until you hit twenty-four."

"Hey, I'm eighteen and I-" Snowe stopped short as a sharp jolt pulled at her line. Furiously, she began to reel in her line, fighting with the monstrous sea creature at the end of her line. Galvantula and Basculin went into a frenzy at the shore. Snowe tugged at the line, and her catch flew out of the water and flopped onto the beach. Scowling, she picked up a water-logged, knit cap from the sand.

"It's a hat," she grumbled. Whitaker burst out in laughter as Snowe angrily wrapped up her line and fell into her fold up chair. Her father followed suit, still snickering though he realized that time with his daughter was running short. Galvantula put his head on Snowe's lap, allowing her to pet him like a freakish dog. Whitaker sighed and recalled Basculin.

"So what now, Snowe?" he sighed, taking a moment to enjoy the view of the river with his child. "You've had two great adventures already. How do you top it off?"

For once in her life, Snowe knew how to answer that question. Upon N's return, she wanted to resume traveling to train for the next great challenge, the Champion himself. The only difference between this next journey and the last is that he would be beside her. Again, she touched the necklace resting on her chest, affirming their silent promise.

"I'm going to beat the Champion," she replied, her eyes shining with the intensity of lightning. "Not to become one or for the fame, but because I can."

Whitaker reached over and rubbed Snowe's head, displacing her cap and ruining her hair. "That's my girl. Give 'em hell."

* * *

><p>"See you later, <em>Hilda!<em>" a boy her age shouted, turning his back and swiftly walking down the sidewalk.

"Go to hell, _Hilbert_!" she shouted back, fuming. Before she could strike her Subway Partner, he disappeared behind the street corner. There was no love lost between those two, their friendship based almost solely upon the fact that they shared a name and that they were both strong trainers. Since returning to Unova, Snowe began to make extra money competing on Subway lines, but she never got far unless she was using Hilbert as a partner. Recently, they had brought their friendship above ground, but their synchronicity in battle didn't translate well into the social world, especially since he wouldn't stop teasing Snowe about her real name.

Yet, he had been kind enough to buy her dinner and keep her distracted. Her mood always became muted when her father left, and with her thoughts constantly fluttering towards N as of late, she needed some company. The last thing she wanted was to be left alone with her thoughts, but as she realized that Hilbert was already long-gone, no doubt off to challenge the Subway again, that's exactly what she was. Growing more dejected by the second, Snowe wandered towards the neon-outlined amusement park.

Her feet took her to the last possible place she wanted to be. A crowd filled the vast expanse of pavement between her and the Ferris wheel. Slowly, she stepped backwards and sat on a wooden bench, watching the structure light up as the sun began to fall in the sky. The LEDs blinked, flashed, and swapped colors, entertaining and awing children and the young at heart. Snowe looked at her boots, unable to enjoy the show. It was hard to believe that in this very spot, nearly two years ago, _he_ had taken her by the arm and pulled her onto the ride. Though she knew he'd come back to her soon, she couldn't help but miss him. No number of answered letters or promises could change the fact that he was gone.

Again, she touched the pendant as it hung between her knees. It was a comforting token, making her feel alive and wanted all at the same time. A peace came over her, and she was able to sit up and look at the Ferris wheel. She watched the people, mothers with their children, teenagers with their friends, lovers, loners and everything in between. It was if the calm she felt came from the blissful multitudes before her. She watched as a couple of twelve-year-olds pushed past a tall man. He leaned against a planter with his back to her, but she almost felt his eyes burn longingly at the Ferris wheel. Her heart sprung into her throat as she realized who this man was. She'd know that posture, the black turtleneck, or those square bangles anywhere. His hair had been cut, but she knew the color well. It was like electric chartreuse, and it drew her towards him like a bug to a lamp.

The cut through the crowd, bumping into people as she sauntered towards him like a zombie. It had to be a dream, or a misunderstanding, yet despite the quiet drops of doubt, Snowe carefully reached out her hand. Gently, she pulled at his shirtsleeve. He spun around. They stared at each other, sharing a look of total shock, before N came to his senses and pulled her into a tight embrace. She dared not ask what he was doing there, or how he managed to get out of jail early. Snowe knew better than to question luck. Instead, she enjoyed the feeling of his hands sliding up her back and the crush of his body against hers.

"_Surprise,"_ he whispered, the breeze of his words sending a warm chill down her spine. Snowe's fingertips slipped away from his shoulders and settled on his cheek. Her soft touch sent a charge directly to his lips, preparing him for the sensation of her lips against his. Snowe's galvanized kiss rocked him, and dazed, N silently resigned himself to her for as long as she would have him.

* * *

><p>With only a few minutes to go before the ceremony, Bianca finally returned to Cheren's side, her makeup slowly sliding away from the corners of her eyes. Cheren leaned over in his chair and pulled a handkerchief from the front of his suit jacket.<p>

"What's wrong?" he asked, dabbing at her cheeks. Bianca sniffed loudly.

"She looks _so_ beautiful," she cried, grabbing Cheren and holding him as tightly as a desperate octopus. "E-everything worked out so perfectly for them!"

"You're right about that," he remarked, returning her embrace. "Even the weather is holding out." Bianca took his hand as they separated and looked into the cloudless sky. It was truly the perfect spring day. The warm sun shined down on the grassland just outside of the Viridian Forest, but the gentle wind kept the guests cool and comfortable as they waited in their seats for the wedding to start. Blue and Red stood near the altar, preening and teasing each other, both anticipating the moment when Leaf emerged from a nearby camper and marched down the aisle. Cheren could see why the images around them brought Bianca to tears. It was beautiful in every sense of the word, but he wouldn't exactly call it perfect.

Despite becoming just as close to Leaf as Bianca and Cheren, Snowe had informed them that she'd be sitting this one out. Cheren knew it was because she didn't want anything remotely romantic near her until N was released. He couldn't blame her. If he was in her position, Cheren wouldn't want to look at a wedding cake unless Bianca was by his side. Still, her presence was missed by both friends and the wedding party. Red seemed particularly disappointed by her absence, as if he wished to challenge her.

Snowe's truancy only slightly marred their enjoyment. Music began to play, and all of the cousins and friends in the wedding party paraded down the aisle. Then, Leaf appeared on Professor Oak's arm. Cheren noticed Blue before he got a good look at the bride, but as his attention fell on Leaf he mimicked the same expression of awe. Leaf's lips were painted a deep red, fighting along with her straight, dark hair against the forces of her pale skin and sleek, formfitting white dress. Through her veil, all could see untainted happiness shining in her eyes. Her gaze became locked with Blue's the moment they saw each other. Everyone felt the eternity that passed as she slowly meandered towards her lover. Although the veil was soon lifted and the holy-man began his sermon, all still felt Leaf and Blue's love wash over them like a wave, continually lapping at their hearts.

By the time the couple began to exchange vows, Bianca was actively weeping into Cheren's shirt. He turned his head to kiss her hair, but something far more distracting than her cries caught his attention. Hushed, playful arguing could be heard behind him, followed by stifled laughter. The wedding had been taking place at the top of a hill, with Cheren and Bianca sitting at the back towards the slope. Cheren smiled as he saw two figures, male and female clambering up the hill, carrying on like a couple of children. The young woman raced ahead of the man, her high heels sinking in to the dirt as she ran.

"C'mon, Snowe," he called, trying to hush himself. "We shouldn't make a scene."

"N," she began, turning and walking backwards. "We can't make a scene if we miss the wed-" Snowe's leg buckled beneath her and she landed on her butt. Although Cheren restrained himself, N was far enough away from the ceremony where he could laugh openly. Snowe blushed and pouted, knowing that there would be a giant green stain on her ass for the duration of the day. Rather than mock her more, N rushed towards her and scooped her into his arms. Silently, they came over the top of the hill and joined the ceremony.

"Glad you two finally decided to show up," Cheren whispered. N set Snowe on her feet and watched as she put her arms around her best friends, hugging them from behind.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," she answered quietly, a smile plastered on her face. "And I promise, when the time comes, I won't be late for _your_ wedding." Bianca flushed and Cheren reached around to give Snowe a weak smack in the arm. It was too late, Snowe had already retreated under N's arm, a satisfied smirk growing across her face. Cheren let it go. After all, it had been a long time since he'd seen her smile like that, and he had a feeling that it wasn't because she had bested him once more...

The End.

**Thank you SO very freaking much for taking the time to read this ten-part fiasco I like to call _Following. _Now, to give credit where credit is due...**

**First and foremost, I'd like to thank Game Freak for creating something that has had a truly positive impact on my life. Pokémon has given me great characters to relate to, exciting adventures, heart-stopping excitement, and has even made me shed a tear or two. Most of all, it has given me fond memories to look back on. I will treasure my time spent with the Pokémon franchise always.**

**I'd like to thank A Little Bird and bollydolly for their super supportive and informative reviews and messages. If they hadn't taken the time to write to me, I probably would have given up on this weeks ago. I'd also like to thank anyone who ever gave feedback or favorited or watched the story, even if it was a death threat for almost killing Joltik. Knowing there are people who want to read makes it ten times easier to write.**

**As strange as this sounds, I also want to thank the anons on 4chan's /vp/. I spend a lot of time on there, and knowing that I'm not alone in loving Pokémon made me get the courage to write about it. You guys might be a cesspool, but you're my favorite cesspool =)**

**Finally, I'd like to thank you, especially if you've read this story from the beginning. I may not be the best writer in the world, but I hope you got some pleasure from this little creation. If only one person becomes even marginally entertained by my writing, I will have done my job.**

**_Arigatou gozaimasu!_**

**_ookami out..._**


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